


Broken Bonds

by Ajnovels



Series: Broken Things [2]
Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon), Tangled (2010)
Genre: AU, Adira is a Good Mom, Adventure, Alternate Timeline, Andrew is a slime bucket, Boy just wants to make everyone proud, Cassandra is Still Grouchy, Eugene needs an eyepatch, F/M, Gen, He thinks a black magic eye is cool, Hector is Feral, I took excessive liberties with Gothel, King Trevor is a jerk, Minor Violence, New Dream, New Dream Fluff, Platonic Bonding, Rapunzel has too much energy, Rapunzel loves Everyone, Season 2 Rewrite, Some added elements, Trauma, Varian Has Issues (Disney), Vex is a Danger Magnet, and everyone loves Rapunzel, eugene is soft, mostly - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-23
Updated: 2020-08-03
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:01:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 74,584
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21911878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ajnovels/pseuds/Ajnovels
Summary: (Sequel to Broken Mirrors)Eugene, Cassandra, Lance, and Varian have done the impossible: they've taken down a servant of Zhan Tiri. Now that Rapunzel is free, they're faced with the daunting task of continuing their journey, whether it be back to Corona or onward to the Dark Kingdom as Adira advises. Either way, they're going to have to face guards hot on their trail, conniving strangers, and their own inner demons.Between misplaced blame, trauma, and a gut-wrenching warning, Rapunzel's chains won't be the only bonds that break.____
Relationships: Adira & Vex, Cassandra & Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider (Disney), Cassandra & Varian (Disney: Tangled), Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider/Rapunzel, Lance Strongbow & Varian, Rapunzel & Everyone, Rapunzel & Varian (Disney), Varian & Vex (Disney: Tangled)
Series: Broken Things [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1568461
Comments: 372
Kudos: 346





	1. Bruised Hearts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (Some are healing, some are not.)
> 
> Rapunzel finally wakes up, only to be faced with a choice: should she go back to Corona, or should she heed the mysterious Adira's warnings and travel to the Dark Kingdom? It doesn't help any that she's still reeling from everything that happened with Gothel. 
> 
> Either way, though, Eugene will stand by her side, and she has a whole new group of friends to help her through this new adventure.
> 
> Meanwhile, Varian and Cassandra still haven't talked about what happened, and trouble is brewing back in Corona.
> 
> ____

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, I'm back... haha ;)
> 
> I wanted to save this chapter for Christmas as a present of sorts, but then I got to thinking about it and I just can't wait to share this first chapter >.< So, um, Merry Early Christmas! Or Happy Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or whatever you celebrate! <3 I hope everyone's having a happy holiday! (And if you don't celebrate anything around now-- have a present anyway ^_^)
> 
> I don't know when I'll get back on schedule, seeing as I'll be busy for the next few days, but I'll try to at least be consistent from here on. Canon's resuming in January (YAY!!!) so I honestly need to hurry up haha...
> 
> Thank you for reading, and I hope you like it! <3
> 
> ALSO: If you have not read Broken Mirrors, this will make zero sense. Please go read it first ^-^
> 
> ____

The world was strangely cold.

Pale light, a washed-out color similar to the seashell paint she used to love, coated Rapunzel’s face in a delicate layer. Her eyes were half-closed, part with fatigue and part with wonder; the last time she had felt like this, taking in fresh, cool air in relaxed breaths, aching wrists free of their cuffs, playful breeze tickling her face as she looked over a world she barely knew… well, it felt more like a dream than memory.

That’s what it all felt like, really. One long, pleasant, lucid dream, one where she could look down and see a crackling fire, nearly out from lack of care, surrounded by kind sleeping strangers. She leaned back into Eugene’s chest as she took in the Tree far below them, Pascal snoring in her lap.

“...That’s where she is now, right?” Rapunzel asked, the question worn and tired by now, having danced upon her tongue several times already.

Eugene showed no impatience, only softness, as he took her hand. His breath was warm and it tickled her ear. “That’s where she is.”

“And she’ll stay there forever.”

“Forever.”

“She’ll never come after me.”

“Never.”

Rapunzel breathed in, lashes fluttering across her cheeks as she closed her eyes. “I love you, Eugene.”

There was a brief moment of silence, and a stiffness to him, before he whispered back, “I love you too.”

For a while, they didn’t speak. They simply watched the moon dip further down in the sky, cloaked in navy silks studded with sterling stars. Finally she leaned her head back, looking up at him. His eye was still black, surrounded by sickly purple veins, a testament to the battle they had fought against the magic Gothel had made her use-- but it was okay. He’d said it was okay. “What do we do now?”

“We do whatever you want.” A few of his fingers ghosted through her brown hair, now running out about two seconds down. “You can do what Adira wants and go to the Dark Kingdom, or you could head back to Corona. We’ll go with whatever decision you make.”

Decision. The word alone was enough to make her glance down at the rocks, those blackish-bluish spikes that kept pushing up like shark teeth. Eugene had filled her in upon climbing the tree, but it was still all too much. Too many things at once to try and fit in her mind.

So, she didn’t try-- not for now, anyway. As always, Rapunzel preferred to look at what she _could_ do, and save the worrying for when it mattered: in the morning. Instead, she pulled his hand in front of her chest, where it lay limp and warm between her own. “Tell me about them again. Adira, and Cassandra, and… and the others.”

“Well, there’s a lot to tell.” Eugene chuckled behind her, a pleasant vibration against her aching back, if only for a few seconds. “Why don’t you just wait until you meet them yourself?”

She hummed, turning her eyes to look at the stars. If she stared hard enough, she could almost imagine them as lanterns. “Describe them each in one word. That’s all.”

“One word?” Eugene blew out a thoughtful sigh through his nose. There were a few seconds of quiet as he thought, and she could almost hear the gears whirring in his mind. “Well. For Cassandra… there are a good many things I could call that woman, but if I had to choose one, it’d be strong.”

“Is that it? It’s so simple.”

“That’s the thing.” Eugene glanced down at the group below, and she turned her head to look as well. It took a moment for her to remember which was Cassandra: the one with the bandaged hand, lying off to the side by herself, curled up as if she were cold. “I’m strong in the most basic sense. But her? On top of having some serious muscle, I’ve also seen her persevere and stand her ground. She’s unwavering in her opinions, and if she’s given a goal, there will be no straying from it.”

Rapunzel allowed a tiny grin to pull on her lips. “And the others?”

Eugene scratched at his chin. “Hm. Well, Lance would be… faithful, I think. He’s never left my side-- at least, not of his own accord. If we ever found ourselves split up, it was either an enemy, or… or me.”

“Hm.” She raised a finger, pointing down at the little bundle by the fire. Two young people, maybe around fifteen, sharing a blanket against the chilly air as they slept back-to-back. “What about those two?”

Eugene tracked her line of vision, a look of amusement coming over his features at the sight. “Well,” he started, “The boy Varian would be... bright. Both in the sense that he’s crazy intelligent and that he always seems to light up the situation. He… reminds me of you, in a few ways.”

Rapunzel curled in her toes, smiling. Warmth bloomed in her chest at the thought of meeting a person Eugene thought similar to her. “And the girl?”

“That’s Vex. I… well, to be honest, I don’t know much about her. You’d have to ask Varian, Lance, or Adira for that, though Adira is never a good person to ask anything.”

“Why?”

“Too cryptic-- and that’d be my word for her. I think she finds joy in confounding us lesser beings.” Eugene’s laugh was weaker this time. “But enough of all of this. It’s past midnight, Sunshine.”

She giggled at the nickname. “Is it? I could have sworn I just watched the moon rise.”

“You’ve been up here for a while.” Eugene’s chin found her shoulder. “Are you sleepy yet?”

She was. Her very bones still ached with fatigue, and the cut on her face throbbed with every change of expression. But her eyes didn’t want to close yet. She felt, somehow, as if she would open them again and find herself back with Gothel, back in chains, back in the darkness with no freedom to look forward to.

So, she shook her head. “No.”

“Then I’ll stay up with you.”

Something told her she should probably say something along the lines of _no, it’s fine, go ahead and sleep, don’t let me keep you up_ \-- but that was something to say when she was sure everything was real, when she was sure Eugene wouldn’t disappear and the light feeling in her heart wasn’t just a trick.

“Okay,” she murmured.

The world was strangely cold. Unfamiliar. Reeking of something lurking out of sight. Now that she’d seen its ugly side, it would never look the same.

But here, in Eugene’s arms, it was warm.

So she stayed.

  
  


_____

  
  


Varian couldn’t sleep.

He pretended to, especially when the Princess and Eugene were looking down, but it was nigh impossible to actually sink into real sleep. There were too many things happening in his mind, too many emotions twisting and tugging at his chest. He couldn’t remember the last time he felt this way, like something huge, cold, and sharp was poking at him from the inside, trying and failing to escape from his too-small body.

His fingers traced along Ruddiger’s fur, who’d snuggled under the covers and refused to leave Varian’s side. Both he and Vex had decided that they would keep him company after what happened at the Great Tree; even Stelle had stuck by him, now sleeping just behind the three of them-- and he was immensely grateful for it. He had an awful tendency to spiral downward when left to his own devices, something he’d figured out after one too many failed experiments.

_Failed experiments…_

The crossbow lay a few paces away, too far for him to reach now but close enough should he need to grab it in an emergency. It was fixed now; he’d used the last of his repair supplies and even broken one of his tools in the restoration process. Despite having been coated with a flame-retardant, highly blast-resistant compound, the explosion had still done some damage to the more delicate parts. If it hadn't been for the way Cassandra had grabbed the explosive part of the bolt, he probably wouldn't have had much left to repair.

He remembered working on it in a feverish passion, never once taking a break until it lay complete in his hands; whenever he thought about quitting, whenever his hands ached from working and his back begged for relief from hunching over, he just pressed a finger to his cheek. The pain of the bruise, a deep purplish-blue splotch stretching from cheekbone to jawline, snapped him back into focus.

The thought that fixing their crossbow would somehow make everything a little better was a childish one, but Varian couldn’t help it. His first instinct was always to fix what he could, how he could, and he knew he couldn’t fix Cassandra’s hand. In hindsight, perhaps the crossbow was just a distraction, a project to immerse himself in and ignore everything around him.

That sounded about right. Hiding from his problems. Isn’t that what the villagers back in Old Corona used to say he did?

Varian’s eyes traveled back to the Princess and Eugene, cradled in the tree branches above, and he found himself wondering if he should’ve just stayed home. He hadn’t helped at all back in the Tree. In fact, if he hadn’t messed with that crossbow, Cassandra would have shot the witch faster and Rapunzel never would’ve been used for that dark magic spell. Eugene’s eye wouldn’t have been damaged.

Cassandra’s hand was only one of the things he’d screwed up that day.

Would he just hurt the Princess too?

A sleepy mumble caught his ear, and Vex shifted behind him, turning over on her other side. He glanced over his shoulder at her sleeping face, calm but for the slightest furrow to her brow. Her own bruise from back in the Forest of No Return was yellowish and nearly faded out. 

He found himself wondering what she was dreaming about. Did she realize just how badly he’d messed up this time? Did she suspect he’d messed up like this before? Did she just pity him? Is that why she’d stood up to Adira so she could stay by him?

Varian let out a long, deep sigh, and closed his eyes. He needed a break. He needed to focus on something for a little while, just to keep his mind from wandering any further. But what? Everything always led back to the present situation: he couldn’t even recite his alchemy formulas, his go-to distraction, because they led to the crossbow and Cassandra.

Maybe… maybe he just needed to try harder. What he knew how to do wasn’t enough. He’d shoehorned himself into this mission, and so far, he hadn’t been nearly enough help. There had to be something he could do to make it up to them, this time without any backfiring. He could change. He could.

He just needed to do better.

But first he needed to figure out how to make himself sleep.

  
  


____

  
  


Cassandra was not a morning person. She did not want to be a morning person. She was fairly certain that she had never been, and would never be, a morning person.

Lance’s singing woke her up at dawn.

This was an offense of the highest order back at home; every one of the Guards would readily admit that they would rather wait for her to wake up than attempt to get her out of bed during their training days. In fact, if he hadn’t been belting out a tune about quail eggs and roasted meat, she might’ve considered socking him.

As it was, Cassandra was starving, so she let this one slide. Heaving a deep yawn, she pushed herself to her feet, walking the few paces it took to reach their campfire.

“Look, Lance, you woke Dragon Lady up without getting clobbered! I told you your singing was good.”

Lance came to an abrupt stop, turning to look at her with eyes wider than saucers. “Oh! Cassandra! I-- I didn’t know you were awake!”

“Just give me food,” Cassandra grumbled, good hand reaching up to rub at her eyes. “You can deal with your stage fright later.”

“Uh, well, Adira will be back soon with whatever she can find. I’d give you this, but it’s for--”

“Oh, Lance, it’s fine. She can have it.”

The voice snapped Cassandra out of her drowsy haze immediately. Her mouth dropped open as she looked up, finding Eugene sitting across from Lance, a petite brunette girl tucked against his side. She met Cassandra’s gaze with a soft smile and a wave, wide green eyes sparkling, a warm contrast to her dirty and tattered clothes. “Sorry, did I startle you?”

“Your Highness!” Cassandra rushed to kneel down on one knee, bending over and lowering her head. Pain lanced up her hand when she tried to brace herself with it, and she ended up in a wobbly and, to her chagrin, very unprofessional bow.

“Ju-- Just Rapunzel, please. And, um, you don’t have to bow.” The Princess giggled, fingers running through her short, choppy hair. The deep scratch on her face from the black rocks had scabbed over, but it looked painful. “I’m still getting used to the idea.”

“Oh, of course, Prin-- Rapunzel. Whatever makes you comfortable.” Cassandra shifted back into a sitting position, though she kept her back straight now, alert and ready.

“Um, thank you… Cassandra, I believe?”

She inclined her head. “Yes, my name is Cassandra, daughter of Corona’s Captain of the Guard. I’ll be serving as your personal guard throughout the journey home.” Casting a glance over to Eugene, the corner of her lips twitched up in a little smile. “Well, we all will, but I’m the official one.”

“Captain of the Guard?” Rapunzel asked, looking up to her right. Cassandra finally noticed Maximus standing there, ears pricked forward and everything about him radiating attentiveness. “Max, wasn’t that your rider?”

He whinnied, mane tossing as he nodded, and Rapunzel let out a little laugh. “For all your insistence that the guards don’t like you, you seem to keep making friends with them, Eugene.”

“Yes, well, it’s not my fault I have such a magnetic personality.”

“Not to interrupt your ego-stroking, Eugene, but we’ve got one more breakfast here,” Lance cut in with a sideways grin, holding up a small wooden bowl full of boiled eggs and a couple of roasted wings; Cassandra assumed they were both of the quail variety. “Who’s getting it?”

“The Princess, of course,” Cassandra insisted before Rapunzel could get a word in. “Who knows how little she’s been eating all this time?”

Rapunzel opened her mouth as if to protest, but after a few seconds, she backed down-- something that only made Cassandra’s concern grow. She could tell, just watching Rapunzel try not to wolf everything down, that the girl was starving; she caught Eugene’s eye, and they shared a disturbed look. Lance seemed to catch on as well, staying silent as he cleaned off the spit she’d bought back in Pincosta in preparation for whatever was handed to him next. Maximus stepped up closer to Rapunzel, eyes sad and regretful as he realized just how bad she’d had it.

When she’d finally downed the last of her food, Rapunzel leaned further into Eugene, eyes already fluttering even though she’d been sleeping for the past day. “Thank you, Lance. You cook wonderfully.”

“I do what I can,” Lance spoke quietly, more warm and genuine than his usual jovial manner. Still, he smiled, and Cassandra could tell he was already growing fond of the Princess. “Are you still hungry?”

“No, I think that’s about all I can handle, thank you,” she shifted in place, holding her stomach, and Cassandra began to wonder if she’d made herself sick eating so fast. Even if she had, Rapunzel showed nothing other than a glowing aura of optimism-- something that would’ve annoyed her otherwise, but here, having watched the Princess suffer so much, it was a balm to Cassandra’s own soul just to see her smile.

“Holy cow, she’s up.”

All five of them looked over to see Vex standing to their left, face slack with surprise. The girl laughed, planting both hands on her hips, and tilted her head at Rapunzel. “How are you feeling, Princess?”

“I’m doing great,” Rapunzel beamed at her, freckles bunching up under her eyes in a way so similar to Varian’s that Cassandra had to look away. “Um, Vex, right?”

“That’d be me.” Vex nodded. “Vardaros street kid turned dark knight in training.”

At Rapunzel’s blank look, her lips took on a small, amused shape. “Adira’s squire.”

“Oh!” Rapunzel clapped her hands once, eyes regaining their green sparkle. “That’s right! Eugene told me about you two. I remember now.”

“Where is Adira, anyway?” Vex asked, sweeping a glance over their camp before finally settling on Lance. “And are you making grub?”

“Off finding food to save rations, and yes, but first come first serve. Cassandra’s already in line.”

“‘Course there’s a line.” Vex plopped down beside Maximus, who whinnied down at her, and raised her hands toward the fire. “How long has Adira been gone, then?”

“Maybe thirty minutes? She should be back soon.” Lance leaned forward to stoke the fire. “How’s our little guy?”

“Little… oh, you mean Varian.” Vex’s eyes shot to Cassandra, monitoring her reaction. Finding nothing but a stony, unreadable face, she carried on, unaware of the lead weight in Cassandra's stomach. “He’s still fast asleep. I don’t… I don’t think he got much rest last night.”

There was the slightest hint of accusation in Vex’s tone, but Cassandra decided to ignore it. She hadn’t done anything wrong, and she wasn’t going to push for either of them to open up. Vex wanted to blame her? Fine. She could be sour if she wanted to be.

Apologies weren’t going to fix her hand.

“Aw, I hope he’s okay,” Rapunzel’s brows furrowed as she craned her neck to look over at the bundle of blankets a few paces away. She could just make out the tip of what looked like a raccoon’s tail poking out. “I’d like to meet everyone on good terms.”

“Not much time for that.” Adira’s voice cut through the conversation before she dropped a basket at Lance’s side with a solid _thunk._ Cassandra was just able to make out a sliver of red apple skin peeking out over the edge. “Go get Blue-Stripe up, Vex. If he wants to sleep, he’ll have to do it on a schedule, just like everyone else.”

Vex nodded wordlessly, rising and going back to fetch Varian, while Adira nudged the basket over with her foot. Several apples and a few persimmons rolled out, and a cleaned rabbit lay tied up in the back of the basket. “Get to working on that, Earrings. Whatever the Princess decides, we’re moving out today. We’ll need our strength.”

Lance happily made a grab for the ingredients, knife at the ready, but Cassandra’s attention wasn’t on him. Rather, it was on Rapunzel, whose joyful spark had gone out faster than a candle flame. Her lips turned down at the corners, eyes downcast, and her fingers curled into Eugene’s sleeve as she bit the inside of her cheek.

Adira seemed to notice it too, and her expression softened. “I’m sorry to weigh you down so quickly, Princess, but this is not something that can wait.”

Rapunzel nodded, bare toes curling and uncurling, their nails digging into the hard ground. “I-- I know.”

Eugene frowned, eyes turning from Rapunzel to Adira. “We can wait one more day. She’s exhausted.”

“No, Eugene, it’s okay. I get it.” Rapunzel sighed, tugging on her short hair. “Let’s just… let’s just wait until everyone’s fed and I’ve introduced myself. Can I have that long?”

“...Fine. But only until then.” Adira’s eyes turned to the clusters of rocks slowly encircling the camp, features weighted. “Destiny won’t wait much longer.”

Rapunzel didn’t seem to know how to respond, so she just looked away, face brightening once more as her gaze fell upon two approaching figures. “Oh! Hello! You’re awake!”

“Princess?” Varian’s eyes blew wide, and Cassandra felt a strange tug at her chest when she saw how dark his bruise had gotten. He’d hidden his face rather well for most of yesterday, hunched over that stupid crossbow as he’d been. It was only amplified by the bags under his eyes; she was glad when he bowed in rather the same manner as she had at first, though his was shaky due to sleepiness and not pain. “I-- hello, Your Highness! I-- my name is Varian! Just Varian. Um. How-- are you-- are you okay?”

Rapunzel giggled, though Cassandra could make out the concern behind her eyes. “I’m fine, Varian. Please, though, you don’t have to bow, and call me Rapunzel. I’m telling you guys, it’s just me.”

“But you’re the Lost Princess,” he blurted, stumbling back to his feet. “I… sorry, Rapunzel. It’s just that I was raised hearing about you. You’re almost like a fairytale to the younger kids back home.”

“A fairytale?” Rapunzel asked, before laughing behind her hand. “Well, I suppose there are worse things to be, aren’t there?”

“...I guess so.” Varian looked down as Ruddiger climbed up to lay across his shoulders, the slightest hint of a smile curving his mouth as he ran a few gloved fingers through his gray fur.

“Aw, is that Ruddiger?” Rapunzel jumped up to her feet, swaying just a moment from dizziness before she regained her balance. Varian went stock-still as she approached, but Rapunzel didn’t seem fazed, reaching out a hand to let Ruddiger sniff her. It didn’t take long for him to chatter back, nose pushing into her palm in an effort to get her to pet him. “He’s so sweet! Here, Pascal, come out and meet Ruddiger.”

Something on her shoulders moved. Cassandra watched in surprise when a little brown lump scuttled down her arm. It faded to green as it approached the raccoon, and Cassandra realized it was a lizard-- a chameleon. The Princess was friends with a chameleon.

Huh.

Ruddiger licked Pascal’s head, to which he chirped in distaste, shooting back a few steps. Rapunzel giggled, setting him back up on her shoulder. “Sorry, he’s a little weird about strangers.”

“I’ll say,” Eugene muttered behind her, prompting Rapunzel to shoot a glare over her shoulder. He looked away, hands up, and Cassandra found herself wondering what had gone down between the two of them.

Then Lance set a wooden bowl in front of her, and everything else melted away. Cassandra could still make out lighthearted chatter between the Princess and everyone else-- including the other horses, who’d awoken and found their way to Rapunzel--but as far as she could tell, none of it was directed at her. That was fine with Cassandra. She wasn’t in the best of moods; maybe eating would help to alleviate that a bit, even if she did have to use her left hand.

At that thought, her thoughts strayed to her sword. She’d have to learn to use it in her other hand now, which meant that she was a weak link at the moment. That would have to be fixed, and fast, if she was hoping to escort the Princess. Cassandra, as far as she knew, was the only one in the group-- barring Adira and, to a much smaller extent, Vex-- with formal training, and that didn’t bode well for them should they run into anyone hostile. Lance still didn’t even have a weapon, and Rapunzel looked as if she could barely land a punch right now.

If only she hadn’t tried to use that stupid crossbow.

Meanwhile, Adira finally sat down by the fire-- much to Lance’s delight-- and cleared her throat. The camp fell quiet, and Cassandra looked up, something twisting in her gut when she saw the woman’s expression. Stony and cool: the face she used when she was about to deliver bad news.

“I see you’ve introduced yourself to everyone, Sundrop,” she began, waiting for Rapunzel-- now frowning-- to nod before continuing. “So now, I need to ask you a question. Will you go to the Dark Kingdom, or will you turn back and go home?”

Rapunzel sighed, fingers running through her short hair in what seemed like habit. She glanced down at Pascal, then at Maximus and Eugene, before swallowing and facing Adira. “I… I don’t know yet.”

“Hm.” Vex stiffened, and Cassandra realized that Adira was actually growing angry. Frustrated, at the very least. “Then allow me to ask you another question: have you noticed those black rocks?”

Rapunzel’s eyes followed where Adira was pointing towards the back of their camp, brows lifting a fraction at the sight of a cluster of black spikes. “...Yes.”

“Have you made contact with them?”

“Not… not since they cut my hair, no. Moth-- _Gothel_ forbade me from touching them.”

Adira hummed, narrowing her eyes. “Then do it.”

There was a beat of silence. When Rapunzel regained her voice, it was weak, shaky. “What?”

“The witch told you not to touch them. Thus, she must have known skin contact would do something. I want you to do it.”

“Hang on a second,” Eugene rose, standing beside Rapunzel with a distrustful look on his face. “How do you know she’ll be safe? Those things are dangerous, aren’t they?”

“Not to her. She is the Sundrop; they’re merely looking for her.” Adira gestured once more to the rocks, casting Rapunzel a meaningful glance. “Zhan Tiri’s magic being cast so close to you alerted the rocks to your presence. They will continue to track your essence, destroying everything in their path, until you express that you are willing to follow them. It’s up to you, Princess.”

Rapunzel wrung her hands, and Pascal patted her on the cheek, careful to avoid her cut. “I… I don’t want them to destroy anything. And I’m not ready to go home… not yet. Not so soon.”

“Then you know what to do.”

Cassandra watched as Rapunzel shared a look with Eugene. A thousand words went through them in that moment, a conversation that no one else could understand.

Turning towards the rocks, Rapunzel finally nodded, determined expression laced with just a little fright. “I’ve broken one set of bonds already, and I’m not going home until I’ve broken _all_ of them.”

She struck forward, steps careful and slow as she inched towards the cluster. They lit up as she drew closer, a pale blue glow blooming from deep within their crystalline structure. It only grew stronger as her fingers lifted, magic brimming just under the surface, straining to grab ahold of Rapunzel and take her with them. Cassandra, even from where she was sitting, could feel the excited hum in the air. Somehow, they knew she was coming, knew she was choosing to follow them. Cassandra didn’t know how to feel about this Dark Kingdom business at first, but seeing the rocks react this way, a gnawing feeling rose in the back of her mind that she was dealing with something a whole lot bigger than a simple rescue mission.

Then she touched them, and a shockwave of blue knocked them all back.

  
  


_____

  
  


Rapunzel groaned. Every part of her ached anew, sore wrists shouting at her and blood trickling down her face from the cut that’d been reopened. Her hair lay on top of her like a thick blanket, suffocating in its weight, and she found herself wishing it were lighter.

That’s when it hit her that it _should_ have been lighter.

She sat up fast enough to make herself dizzy, Pascal squeaking in alarm when he was pulled up in the tangled mass of hair. Rapunzel snatched one of the golden blonde locks, pulling it around to her face to see, and a jolt went through her entire body.

Her hair was back.

On one hand, she was conflicted. It had been a shock to lose her hair, to be able to shake her head and feel the frayed edges on her neck, but it had also been freeing. Her hair was always the one thing that tied her down to the tower, to Gothel, and with it gone… she suddenly didn’t have anything to lose. At least, nothing so fragile as magic hair. She could go anywhere, do anything, and not have to worry about sharp things or kidnappers wanting to use her as Gothel had. Now that it was back, she’d have to deal with all that again.

On the other hand…

“Eugene!” She called, scrambling to her feet so fast that she fell on the first try. She ran over to him, ignoring his surprised splutters and wrapping a thin lock of hair around the top of his face. He didn’t protest, as least not physically, but she had to ignore a lot of questions. She didn’t blame him for asking, but she didn’t know any answers, and that wasn’t what mattered right now. What did matter was that she could heal again.

The song was hard to sing, simply because of all the new memories it dredged up, but she pushed them all away. Without Mother there to distort and twist it, the words were soft and warm and familiar, and she closed her eyes as she lost herself in the song. When the last sound left her lips, she tugged the hair free, smiling so wide it stung her cut cheek.

Eugene’s confused eyes, one brown and one solid black, met hers.

Rapunzel’s heart dropped.

“I don’t… I don’t understand,” she breathed, tracing under his eye with a finger. “It should have worked.”

He tried to say something, and Adira was talking in the background, but Rapunzel wasn’t listening. Maybe it was because his eye had been damaged by magic. She’d never had to deal with magical injuries, after all! Maybe her hair only worked on normal ones! Scanning the group, her eyes landed on the boy-- Varian-- and she bolted for him. He struggled a little more than Eugene did, but that didn’t stop her from belting out the song again, hair pressed to his bruised cheek.

It didn’t even glow.

“I don’t understand,” she repeated again, stumbling back a few steps and hugging herself.

“If you would _listen_ ,” Adira huffed, settling a hand on her shoulder. Rapunzel turned around slowly, eyes glassy and mouth slack. “The nature of magic is unpredictable. That first cut probably took away your healing powers for good.”

“Then-- then why is it long again?” Her voice started to break. “What good is it!? I-- I just got rid of it! What good is this… this _chain_ if it can’t even heal?”

 _What good am_ I _?_

“Sunshine,” Eugene murmured, appearing by her side. Adira backed off, hands clasped behind her back. “Sunshine, it’s okay.”

Adira waited until she’d calmed down a little, just watching Eugene comfort her with a bland look, before speaking up. “Like I suspected, you’re still the Sundrop.”

“Can’t you wait to brag?” Eugene demanded, pulling Rapunzel closer to him. She could feel his heartbeat, rapid from either anger or surprise or some mixture of the two. “Rapunzel’s been through a lot, and she did what you asked!”

“She did, and for that, I thank her.” Adira glared at Eugene before turning her eyes back to Rapunzel. “But, with all due respect, now is not the time for sentimentalities and mulling over the past. Right now, the rocks are calling to you, and I need your answer. Will you go home, or will you pursue your destiny?”

Rapunzel nodded, taking a deep, calming breath. She didn’t know where that outburst had come from. It was sudden and out of nowhere, a thought she’d never really had before and yet had always been lurking in the background.

Adira was right. Now wasn’t the time for all of that. Stay positive, stay happy; sadness helped no one. It was a mantra she lived by.

She looked over at the rocks, which had shifted to lay down flat against the earth in a path of black crystal. It cut through the rocky pass beyond, snaking across the ground in a twisting road that both scared and beckoned her. She could sense it calling for her, a subtle but insistent pull, and she knew what her answer would be.

There was no other choice.

Rapunzel looked around at all the new faces, at Maximus’s attentive stare, at Eugene’s soft and inquisitive expression. Pascal looked up at her with those same wide eyes as he always had, both questioning and reassuring. Wherever she went, he’d go with her.

She turned back to Adira. “I’m going to the Dark Kingdom.”

  
  


_____

  
  


_Your Majesty,_

_In spite of your generous decision to allow the expansion of Old Corona, I am pleasantly surprised and eager to inform you that we will not need the extra land as I suspected we soon would. Just this morning, the rocks withdrew, leaving a torn but repairable village behind. It will take some work, but it seems the absolute worst has passed; I fear our situation would have been much more dire if the girl had been here in person. I can only think of one explanation for this behavior, however: either the Sundrop, your daughter, has made a pact of sorts with the Moon’s magic, or she has died. Seeing as the world is not erupting into chaos, I assume it is the former._

_Now, regarding my son: I grow impatient. It may be crude of me to say this in such a blunt manner, but it is true. If you should receive any word of him, please do tell me; if not, then I shall attempt to get things in order and embark on a rescue mission of my own. Whereas you feel comfortable sending teams of men after your child, I prefer to use my own eyes when possible, and-- father to father-- I’m sure you understand when I say that I want my son back._

_Please do forgive me for the abruptness of this message, but I am a busy man at the moment, and it is crucial that I deliver this information to you and receive your reply. I shall be waiting._

_Your old friend,_

_Quirin_

  
  


Frederic sighed, rubbing his temples and pushing the letter away. Its worn parchment was a great contrast to the fine white paper of the formal letters and documents piled high on his desk. He stood, hands behind his back, and looked out the window over his courtyard and the city beyond.

Another letter had just arrived earlier that day via messenger bird. It had been a long and arduous report, just one of the many guard teams’ logs of their activity and progress. If he hadn’t been as meticulous as he was about this particular investigation, he’d have missed the paragraph in this last one, grossly underemphasized for the information it contained.

_Encountered suspects in Pincosta, roughly one and a half months after assignment. Criminal suspected of aiding Flynn Rider matches described appearance of ‘Varian’. After further investigation, he indeed appears to be both the missing boy and the fugitive. Cassandra, the Captain’s daughter, was also seen aiding and abetting Flynn Rider, along with a man we’ve identified as Lance Strongbow._

_Orders regarding handling of these traitors are requested. If no orders are given, they will be dealt with as per Corona law._

Frederic had a lot to think about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Varian's not having the best of times, is he :(
> 
> Also, I have never even experimented with New Dream before, so I hope I got them right ^~^*
> 
> (One more thing: I know I didn't touch on the animals much this chapter, and I apologize for that. I really did try to make them feel present, but with all of Rapunzel's stuff going on and bad feelings running rampant, there just wasn't much opportunity. Sorry again ^_^*)


	2. Footsteps

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (Every great journey starts with a single step.)
> 
> Rapunzel and her friends finally set off down the road, while Quirin sees something strange.
> 
> ____

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I know, filler chapter. But it's necessary. The next one will be getting back into the exciting part of things :) Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy this more laid-back section before we move further into uncharted territory.
> 
> ____

“Do you really have to go?”

“As soon as we get back to open road.” Vex’s words were flat, but Varian could detect the somber tone hiding behind her mask. He wasn’t sure he liked how much Adira was rubbing off on his friend. “I’m sorry, but she insists that we have to stay distanced from you. I don’t know why.”

“Some aunt she is.” Varian glared down at the stony ground, dappled with spotty sunlight peeking over the stone walls surrounding them. He felt like the only thing he ever saw now was stone, stone, and more stone, and maybe a little dirt here and there. He’d been in these mountains for so long. “I mean, she doesn’t even call me by my name. She just drops in, says she knew my dad, then never explains anything and treats me like a stranger.”

Vex frowned, looking ahead at the group, while Ruddiger chattered at Varian from his shoulder, rubbing a paw down the boy’s cheek. Stelle whinnied her concern behind them. As per usual, they’d hung back, taking all the time they could to talk before being separated again-- almost like two kids reluctant to leave a playdate. Adira was leading the group, also as per usual. “I think she just doesn’t know how to talk to you. She’s… really prickly and awkward around people. I think it’s why we understand each other so well.”

“You’d be the only one.” Varian kicked a pebble, sending it skittering along the ground. “Getting her to talk is harder than getting my dad to listen. I don’t understand her or anything she does. At all.”

“I won’t pretend to get her motives,” Vex shrugged. “I still don’t know why she took me on so easily when she insists on staying away from other people. I don’t know why she won’t just travel with you guys, either.”

“Hmph.” Varian stuck his hands deep into his jacket pockets. “She probably doesn’t want me talking to you.”

“Okay, Varian, that’s enough.” Vex crossed her arms, stopping dead in her tracks. He cast a glance to the rest of the group before doing the same, a pit forming in his stomach at her tone. Her expression was a mixture of frustration and pity, things he’d seen all too much. “What’s going on with you? Cassandra’s hand wasn’t your fault. You’re just driving yourself further and further down into a hole, and if you don’t stop being grumpy, it’s gonna turn into something worse. Trust me.”

He tensed for a second before sucking in a breath, letting it out slowly and relaxing. Ruddiger chittered up at him, and he ran a hand through his fur. “You’re right. Sorry.”

“Don’t apologize to me. Just listen and move on. Cassandra will bounce back from this, and you should, too.”

“...Yeah.” he cracked a smile. Somewhere deep inside, there was still a tight knot, unwilling to unravel and let him move past the incident-- but something about Vex’s words helped him ignore it for now. “Thanks, Vex.”

“You’re welcome. Now keep it that way. This friendship doesn’t have room for two smart-mouthed cynics.” When he didn’t answer, she bumped him with an elbow. “Come on, we’ve got to go catch up to them before they notice we’re gone.”

A smirk tugged up the corner of Varian’s mouth. “Race you?”

Vex blinked before grinning back. “Boy, you’ve already lost.”

  
  


_____

  
  


Eugene could not express how glad he was to see open fields.

Forests and lakes and hills and rolling plains, all spread out before them, with the endless ocean sparkling off to their left and more mountains cupping around the rest of the land. Sure, they’d have to climb again eventually, but it was so nice to leave the mountains behind for a bit.

Rapunzel gasped at the sight of it, eyes gleaming with excitement. “Oh, Eugene! It’s so pretty! Pascal, look!” She held out Pascal in her hands, who chirped in agreement. Maximus whinnied on her right, tossing his mane, and she giggled. “I wish I could paint it!”

That brought Eugene’s mind back into focus, and he scanned their group for Cassandra. He found her leaning against the rock wall of the tunnel they’d just emerged from, inspecting her bandages, and cleared his throat to get her attention. “Hey, Cass, how much money do we have left?”

She looked up, lips in a flat line. “About a quarter of what we got from Vardaros. Enough to get us new clothes and a few other things, if we really need it, but we should save as much as we can. Meaning no more inessential purchases, especially expensive alchemy ingredients.”

Varian, standing all the way at the end of the cliffside, flinched at that. Eugene frowned. “So we can’t afford any painting supplies?”

Cassandra’s eyes shot to Rapunzel, growing wide, and she pushed herself off the wall. “Oh, for  _ her _ ! Um, we can get whatever the Princess wishes!”

“No, no, it’s okay,” Rapunzel chuckled awkwardly, brushing back a lock of hair that’d fallen into her face. That was another thing-- he couldn’t keep forcing her to carry around her hair like she’d been; he could tell by her shaking arms that it was too much for her now, after so long spent hungry and suffering who-knew-what. He wondered briefly if Cassandra knew anything about braiding. Probably not. “I’ll be okay without paints! It’s not important.”

“Anything the Princess requires is important.”

“Well, then, um… pretend I’m not the princess. I’m just Rapunzel out here on the road.” She planted both hands on her hips, trying to come off as authoritative, but to Eugene it just came off as cute. “And I say I’m fine without paints! So there.”

Cassandra blinked, brows lowering. “But… you are the Princess. I’m in charge of your safety and happiness. Because… because I’m a guard.”

“Well, take a day off, soldier!” Rapunzel’s wide smile returned then, and she turned to Eugene, her hand finding his. “Oh, I can’t wait to explore the world with all of you! I mean, we’re following a set path, but still! Detours! Adventure! Freedom!”

“Ah, yeah, I don’t know how Adira would feel about all of that. You might want to ask her how much time we’ve got.” Eugene glanced around. “Well, if you can find her…”

“You’ve got time.”

Eugene jumped, yelping, and Rapunzel startled a little as they turned around, while Maximus brayed and nearly kicked Adira in the stomach. Pascal sent her a dubious look, tucking himself further into Rapunzel’s hair. 

Eugene blew out a breath, glaring up at her smug face. “You are too tall to be as stealthy as you are.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment. To answer your question, the rocks should allow you extra time, so long as you don’t stray from their path. You’ve committed now. The Moon will be patient, to an extent. Just don’t go on any week-long detours, and you’ll probably be fine.”

“Probably?” Cassandra asked, brow raised. “Look, are you actually serious about this mission or not? It it one hundred percent safe to stray from the path?”

“I’m more serious about this than you are about procuring your position on the Guard. The difference between us, however, is that I have waited two and a half decades for this mission.” Adira’s voice grew distant, eyes unfocused as they studied some unknown point on the horizon-- like she was looking at something they couldn’t see. “I know patience, and I know the dangers of pushing too hard. Life flows as it will, and too much tampering will disrupt it. I cannot afford to try and force the Sundrop into anything.”

“Wise words,” Lance murmured, appearing at Adira’s shoulder. She rolled her eyes and batted him away. 

“So… you’re saying I  _ can  _ go exploring?” Rapunzel asked, bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet. “Oh, I can’t wait! Eugene, you’re gonna have to show me  _ everything _ !”

“I don’t know this land as well as I know Corona,” Eugene reminded her, scratching his head. “I mean, I know a little bit, but there’s not much to steal out here.”

“Other than the Jade Lily,” Lance spoke up, sly grin on his lips. “Remember that heist, Eugene?”

“I remember Caine taking off with it,” Eugene crossed his arms, studiously ignoring Maximus’s judgemental stare. “That one, I’ll admit, was my fault.”

“A fact I will hold over your head until the day we die.” Lance put a hand over his heart.

“Okay, you two were thieves. We get it. Can we get a move on already?” Cassandra stomped back to the mouth of the tunnel where they’d left the other three horses to grab Fidella’s reins. Fidella cocked her head, noticing her owner’s frustration, but didn’t protest when Cassandra hopped into the saddle.

Adira laughed behind them. “That’s the spirit, Short-Hair. I’ll catch you all later, after the Sundrop has calmed down a little bit.”

Rapunzel’s face fell as she turned to Adira. “Wait, you’re not coming with us?”

Adira shook her head. “I have other things to do. Don’t worry, you’ll survive without Vex and me. Probably.”

“Oh, that’s right, you have to take her too.” Rapunzel frowned. “But why? We could all travel together!”

“Trust me, Sundrop, it’s for the best if I watch from afar. The shadows are my home, and I’d prefer to stay in them if possible.” She beckoned to Vex, who was staring at her with a hard, unreadable expression. The girl sighed, saying something to Varian and wrapping him in a quick hug before turning around to join Adira. Ruddiger jumped into her arms, allowing her to snuggle him for a second before passing him back to Varian and slowly,  _ slowly  _ returning to Adira’s side.

Having collected her charge, Adira waved once. “I’ll be seeing all of you. Be careful, and no stupid stunts, please.”

“Was she talking to me?” Lance muttered in Eugene’s ear as they watched Adira and Vex leave, ducking into the forest opposite their path down. They disappeared like forest spirits, not a trace of them left behind. “I feel like she was talking to me.”

“She was talking to all of us, Lance,” Cassandra spoke, not looking at him. “Now hop on Fancy and let’s get out of here. We’re burning daylight, and let’s not forget that my dad’s forces are doubtlessly on our trail. They catch us, and we’re carted back to Corona, no questions asked.”

“Oh, that’s right,” Rapunzel gasped. “If we get caught, does that mean you all get punished?”

“We’re hoping you’ll be our ticket out of punishment, actually.” Eugene chuckled, though it came out more forced than he’d intended. He could already feel phantom rope around his neck at the thought. “Y’know, royal pardon for bringing the Lost Princess home and all.”

“Oh. Well, then, Cassandra’s right. We need to get going.” Rapunzel sucked in a breath, standing tall as she looked out over the vast stretch of land, and pumped her fist into the air. Pascal did the same with one of his scaly feet. “Time to go see the world!”

Eugene just made out Cassandra’s sigh.

______

  
  


“Oh, Eugene, what’s  _ that _ ?”

“A dragonfly.”

“Oh, and that!”

“It’s… it’s just a tree, Sunshine.”

“But it’s  _ different _ !”

“It’s birch?”

“Huh. How about  _ that _ ?”

“ _ That _ is a black widow spider, and we do not touch it.”

Cassandra sighed when Lance whimpered beside her. They’d been walking through this little grove for about an hour now, and all she’d heard the entire time was Rapunzel’s endless babbling. It had been nice at first, a reminder that she was free, alive, and safe, but it was starting to get on Cassandra’s nerves. “It’s just a spider, Lance. It’s not out to get you.”

“But it’s  _ poisonous _ ,” he complained, eyeing it as they passed. It just sat in the center of its web, harmless and still, but Fancy swerved to the opposite side of the road just for her rider’s sake, tossing a concerned glance back his way.

“Venomous,” Varian muttered in monotone from behind them. Lance stuck his tongue out at the boy, but Cassandra didn’t answer. She didn’t trust herself to, not now, while she was feeling irrationally angry. Too much had gone down between them to risk rocking the boat; she didn’t  _ want  _ to hurt him any more than she already had, regardless of whatever blame he bore for her hand.

“Tomato, tomahto,” Lance spat, narrowing his eyes at the spider. “I still don’t like it.”

“Sure is a good thing you weren’t with us when the Baron was playing around with that spider, huh?” Cassandra smirked. “That would’ve been funny.”

“He’s still got those little monsters?” Lance asked in a mixture of horror and disgust. “I thought we smashed all its eggs!”

“You did… what?”

“Long story. It is kind of funny he didn’t use the thing on me alone, though. I don’t think Red and Angry ever even saw it.” Lance smiled at the memory of the two girls. “I bet they and Varian would get along great.”

“I met them back in Pincosta,” Varian reminded him, voice finally picking up a little. Poor kid must’ve been missing his friend already. “I mean, we didn’t really talk, but they seemed nice, I guess. They’re really young for what they’re doing, though.”

“Hey man, gotta start when you’re young. Get a jump on everybody else.” Lance jerked a thumb in Eugene’s direction. “Casanova and I started stealing when we were still in the orphanage. We were real slick with those cherry tarts.”

That got a smile out of Varian, and Ruddiger’s ears pricked at the mention of food. “Tarts? Really? That’s what got you started on thievery?”

“Don’t talk down on Mama Julie’s tarts, kid. A fresh cherry tart was enough motivation to get a kid out of bed at six in the morning.” Lance laughed, running a few fingers through his beard. “Nah, it was a comb for Eugene and a new pair of shoes for me.”

“A comb?” Cassandra found herself asking. “Why a comb?”

Lance laughed at that, eyes crinkling in the corners. “A couple of reasons. Long story short, though, Eugene’s always been obsessed with keeping himself clean and well groomed. I think it was mostly due to him wanting to measure up to the ‘dashing Flynn Rider’.” Lance’s eyes turned to his friend, smile fading just a bit. “The other part of it was him trying to get adopted, I think. It was kind of a given that if a kid was cute, they’d get adopted first, and… well. Eugene was always talking about how he wanted a family one day. I think it broke his heart when we finally left the orphanage.”

Something sank in Cassandra’s gut, and she turned her gaze to the couple ahead. Maximus was carrying them without issue, though Rapunzel kept leaning and craning from side to side so much that he struggled to keep her from falling out of the saddle. It was quite something to watch them together; the Princess was the most animated person Cassandra had ever seen, even more so than Varian used to be when they first met him. Eugene seemed happier, as well, with a constant smile on his lips and a soft, ever-present warmth behind his eyes.

If Cassandra had ever had any doubts about his sincerity in loving the Princess, this wiped them clean from her memory. This wasn’t the man her father would come home grumbling about. This wasn’t the no-good slimy criminal who’d stolen the Crown. This was simply a man in love trying to do better.

The trees finally broke around them, giving way to the plains they’d seen earlier from the cliff. Wild daffodils grew in great clusters, and ponds glimmered like sapphires scattered over the vast expanse. In the distance, she could make out a group of sheep grazing, and rabbits scampered through the thick patches of brush and brambles.

And there, tucked right along the coastline in front of them, was a city.

“Ah, Equis,” Lance sighed behind Cassandra. “You know, I got captured here once. King’s a wacko.”

“I’ll say. King Frederic has a long-standing rivalry with Trevor.” Cassandra snorted, lips turning up at one corner. Maximus and Fidella whinnied at one another, and she wondered what kind of Frederic stories they were reminiscing about. “We have official orders to send any Equis merchants back with their merchandise covered in bimberry juice.”

Varian frowned. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard of Equis before. Then again, I’ve never really been a traveler…”

“Well, it’ll be a new experience for all of us, then!” Rapunzel cheered, looking back at them with the biggest smile she could make. “And, um, exciting for Lance and Eugene!”

“Exciting is definitely one word for it,” Eugene muttered, glaring down at the city. “I wonder if the heat’s died off any in Equis.”

“Probably not,” Lance shrugged. “But, hey, we made it through Vardaros and Pincosta, right?”

“Not great examples, buddy.”

“It ought to be fine,” Cassandra assured them. “You’ve been hanging around Corona for the past, what, eight or nine years? King Trevor’s got his own problems.”

“Do not underestimate that man’s ability to hold a grudge.”

“Oh, I’m sure it’ll all be fine, you guys,” Rapunzel smiled, though Cassandra could see the strain behind it. It was the smile of someone who was trying to gloss things over, trying to radiate enough positivity to leach into the people around her.

In that moment, Cassandra’s heart went out to the Princess, and she smiled back-- if a little hesitant herself. “Her Highness is right. We’ve made it through plenty worse than Equis. We’ll just get in, get out, and not make any fuss.”

“Because that worked so well back in Vardaros,” Varian mumbled. 

Cassandra ignored him, casting Rapunzel a comforting nod. The Princess beamed, relief flooding into her eyes and painting her features a softer tone. “Yeah, what Cassandra said. It can’t be that hard to go unnoticed in such a big city!”

“With your hair? And my eye?” Eugene sighed, shaking his head, but there was a hint of a smile around the corners of his lips. “Fine. We’ll see how it goes. You have to have new clothes, in any case, so it isn’t like we have an option.”

Maximus whinnied under him, and Eugene smacked the horse’s neck lightly. “Don’t you start. I know it’s my fault.”

“Well, what are we waiting for?” Rapunzel leaned back on Eugene, finger raised toward Equis and a determined grin on her face. “Let’s run! Go, Max! As fast as you can run!”

“Hey, wait wait wait, that’s not a good ide--aahhhh!”

They set off toward the city, Eugene hanging onto Rapunzel for dear life as her laughter rang in the wind.

  
  


_____

  
  


Quirin knocked with a quiet huff, the sound echoing down the castle’s corridors louder than an earthquake. He’d seen a few servants here and there while walking through the halls, but for the most part, the Corona palace had been deserted; Frederic really had sent all his guards out to look for their children.

As he waited to be answered, he cast his eyes over the many paintings and elaborate carpets, but he took in none of it. Quirin’s mind was too fixated on the problem at hand to care for generic opulence.

Shortly after he’d sent his letter, the reply had arrived, sent by way of one of the King’s own messenger birds. Its message, branded by Frederic’s seal, was short and to the point:  _ We must speak. _

The solid lump of lead in his gut was enough to make most men’s awareness wane, but Quirin was a former Dark Knight. His eyes were keen, and his ears sharp: he didn’t miss the stranger when he brushed past, cloak fluttering behind him and boots velvety in the silent halls.

His hand quivered, already feeling the smoothness of his sword’s hilt, but then the doors swung open to admit two armored guards. For a split second he turned to look at them, finding two new recruits he didn’t recognize; for a split second, his attention wavered.

When he looked back again, the stranger was gone.

“Lord Quirin of Old Corona,” the guard on the left nodded to him, ushering him into the throne room. “His Majesty has been expecting you.”

Down the hall and around the corner, a strange man adjusted his woolen vest, his straight white teeth set in a smile, and continued down the hall.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why Quirin, I think you may have just met an Antagonist™
> 
> I'm really looking forward to the Equis part. I need to sketch up some designs for all their new outfits :3 In case you haven't noticed by now, I really like redesigning characters haha
> 
> Also I think I'll start cutting to Vex and Adira next chapter. It'll be difficult writing Adira any more than necessary since we don't know all that much about her and I'm trying to stay *somewhat* in the realm of canon lore, but it'll be a while before the groups meet up again and I want to explore them more \^.^/
> 
> Stuff's kind of cracking down now and the initial new-story steam has run off, but I'm still excited and the words are flowing, so I don't think update consistency will be an issue. *At least* once a week sounds about right for this act.
> 
> Anyway, see you next time! I hope you liked it! <3


	3. Matters of the Crown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Equis proves to be more of an obstacle than Rapunzel and friends hoped it would be.
> 
> Meanwhile, Quirin grows suspicious, and Adira reveals something to Vex.
> 
> _____

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all  
> Canon  
> It's ending in March  
> I'm sad T.T
> 
> (Also how does geography even work in this show,, why is Equis both right next to Corona in s1 and simultaneously several months away in s2,, I have questions)
> 
> Anyway besides all of that! I hope you like this chapter-- it's setting the scene for something I think will be a lot of fun :)
> 
> _____

Vex grit her teeth, palms stinging from gripping rough wooden handles so hard. Sweat glittered on her brow, even though she’d cast off her shawl and rolled up her sleeves. Even the shade from all the spruces and birches around them didn’t help her from overheating. Sparring with Adira would do that to someone.

“Straighten up,” Adira ordered, circling her like a predator. Her eyes were sharp and unyielding, studying every movement. Her black sword glinted at her side, held down but at the ready. “You’re sinking too far into your stance. Too rigid. Limber up.”

“Easy for you to say,” Vex growled under her breath. “You’re not expecting a dark knight to attack you at any given time.”

“Who says?” Adira disappeared behind her. Before Vex could turn, she felt something swipe her legs out from under her, a yelp ripping from her throat as she sprawled out on the ground. Her shotels went skittering away with a chorus of clatters, and Vex sighed, already knowing what was coming.

“Yeah, yeah, I know. Hector.”

“You say that as if you think he isn’t dangerous.” Adira extended her hand. Vex took it, grunting as she was yanked up like a ragdoll. Her mentor’s expression was just as serious as always, lips pursed and eyes hard. “Hector is unsound and obsessed with protecting the Dark Kingdom. Now that we’re expressly going against his warning, he’ll be looking for us, and you have to be ready.”

“I know.” Vex dusted off her skirt, frowning at the rough patches where it had begun to wear away. “He’s dangerous and he’ll be after me.”

“Exactly.” Adira let a breath out through her nose, looking back toward the mountains they’d left. They could just see the faintest sliver of it through the dense forest, glimpses of brownish-grey in the gaps between leaves. “You being my squire means that you’re declaring loyalty to King Edmund. Which, in turn, means that you’re a traitor in his eyes.”

Vex tilted her head, bending down to gather up her blades. Her conversation with Varian came flooding back, and she sheathed both weapons before planting her hands on her hips. “Why did you take me on?”

Adira turned to her, eyes narrowing. “Pardon?”

“Why would you take me on?” Vex repeated, maintaining her stance even when Adira’s stare grew intense. She hadn’t shown intimidation for years upon years, and she wasn’t going to start now. “The way you talk, it sounds like you have no benefit from this, and I don’t think I want Hector after me. So. Why train me?”

Adira was quiet for a moment. The she let out a breath, sinking to the ground and crossing her legs. Vex did the same on impulse; when Adira sat down, it always meant they were going to have a serious conversation of some kind or another-- usually one that left her thoughtful and a little worried about what she’d gotten into. “I’ve never told you about the Brotherhood’s founding, have I?”

Vex thought for a few seconds before shaking her head. “No, I don’t think so.”

Adira nodded, a thoughtful frown tugging her lips down as she folded her hands in her lap. “The Brotherhood was a small and elite organization dedicated to carrying out the King’s direct orders. We were chosen through trials and intense training, faced with test after test to prove ourselves worthy of our station; then, we were forced to leave our old lives, swearing fealty to King Edmund and giving up any family we had. It was a brutal selection, and one that Edmund did not wish to do over.”

Her eyes focused on Vex, sharp and cold. Calculating. “I am older than I’d like to admit. While training keeps me well and feeling young, my life will not go on forever, and neither will my brothers’. We all sat down to discuss this fact one day shortly before the fall of the Dark Kingdom, and we came to an agreement: each of us would take on one squire to train and succeed us in the Brotherhood.”

Vex’s lips parted as she rocked back. Something heavy settled on her chest as she reached up to tug on one of her braids, Adira’s words echoing in her mind. “So… you just picked up some random street kid to take your place one day?”

Adira shrugged, lips curving into an almost playful little smile. “You remind me a lot of myself, Vex. I was a lot like you when I was younger. Rash, defiant, skilled beyond my years with a blade. And you gave up what stability you had in your life to help your friend.”

“But… but that doesn’t mean I’m worthy to be a dark knight,” Vex insisted. “I was working with Varian because he said he’d pay me.”

Adira raised a brow, eyes glittering. “Is that the only reason?”

When Vex didn’t answer, Adira unfolded her hands, leisurely standing and inspecting her sleeve. “You’re permitted to leave my side at any time, Vex. Just say the word and I’ll leave you behind.”

“I…” Vex glanced down at her shotels. “I don’t want that. I like traveling with you.”

“Then what’s the problem?”

She pushed herself to her feet, still staring at the ground. “I don’t suppose there is one.”

“Good.” She looked up to see Adira’s small, genuine smile. “I’d honestly be rather hurt if you did want to quit. I’ve grown fond of you.”

Vex returned the expression. “Yeah, I’m warming up to you a little too.”

“Mm.” Adira reached for her sword. “Don’t think you’ll get yourself out of training with this. We don’t have much time before the sun begins to set, and I don’t think you’re ready to face me in the dark.”

She grinned. “Oh, I wasn’t planning on it. Show me what you’ve got, old lady.”

Metal clashed with black stone, and Vex felt somehow lighter than before.

  
  


______

Rapunzel gasped as they entered the city square.

It was so different from Corona. The stone was a different shade, more greyish and cooler under her bare feet, and the houses were built more squat and sprawling. The central plaza was decorated not with a fountain but with a huge statue of a well-dressed man, surrounded by flowerbeds full of pansies and peonies. The people here even dressed differently, their colors more vibrant and pronounced. Pascal eyed the clouds of butterflies drifting over the blooms, tongue flitting in and out.

“Oh, Eugene, it’s beautiful!” Rapunzel gasped, clasping her hands under her chin. “Where do we go first?”  
“Well, if I remember, the dress shops are over that way,” Eugene pointed off to the left, down a wide and well-kept street lined with yet more flowers. “You and Cass can probably go down there to get you fitted. They won’t let us in.”

Rapunzel frowned. “You mean you’re not coming with me?”

Cassandra appeared by her side, taking her arm, making Pascal shift to her other shoulder. “Men aren’t allowed in while the ladies are shopping, Princess. It’s considered indecent.”

“Oh.” Rapunzel turned towards her, beaming through the sudden heavy feeling in her stomach. She hadn’t parted with Eugene since they’d reunited, and the thought of leaving him made something twist inside her-- something like panic and dread mixed together. “Um, okay! Sure! Yeah, we can go-- we can go find clothes together. We-- we could get matching dresses!”

Cassandra’s face twisted at that. “Uh, yeah, no. I’ll find some nice trousers and a tunic, thanks.”

“Aw, are you sure? We would look so cute together! I bet you’d look lovely in blue, it’d match your skin tone so well--”

“No.” Cassandra’s tone came out forceful enough to make Rapunzel freeze, a cold stab shooting up her throat and cutting off her words. Pascal chirruped, tail winding up tight, Eugene tensed beside them, and Cassandra’s eyes widened as she realized what she’d done. She let go of Rapunzel’s arm, backing up and picking at the bandages on her hand. “Um, I’m not very comfortable in dresses. Can’t fight well in them.”

“Oh,” Rapunzel said after a breath, backing up. She could sense the other eyes on her from behind, Lance and Varian and Maximus all burning holes in the back of her head. “O-of course. I understand! Um. Sorry.”

Cassandra looked uncomfortable, reaching out for half a second as if to comfort her before thinking better of it. She cleared her throat, finally choosing to just look away. “Let’s get going. You’re already getting some weird looks out here.” 

“Okay,” Rapunzel took in a deep, calming breath, plastering on her smile again. “Yeah. I can do that. Um, are you guys sure you’ll be okay on your own?”

“Don’t worry about us, Sunshine,” Eugene backed up to stand by Lance and Varian. He threw an arm around both, Maximus lowering his head closer to the group, and cast them a reassuring grin. “We won’t get up to anything.”

“I’m going to pretend I believe you,” Cassandra rolled her eyes, already marching off toward the dress shops. “C’mon, Princess.”

Rapunzel shared one last glance with Eugene, a simple nod and a smile, and jogged after Cassandra.

  
  


______

  
  


“Okay… paints, paints, paints,” Varian pushed aside the piles upon piles of notebooks and quills and bundles of charcoal sticks. Ruddiger traversed the shelves too high for him to reach, squeaking as he held out jar after jar as if to ask if he’d found the right thing. So far, neither of them had managed to get lucky yet.

Maybe he was just looking in the wrong places. After all, he was used to looking for sketching supplies; he’d never once gone looking for paints in a shop. Whirling around, he half-ran to the front desk, gloved hands slamming down on the counter and startling the shopkeeper behind it. He mentally berated himself for being so overexcitable, but there was something about buying something he wasn’t supposed to be that made his adrenaline pump. “Do you stock any paints here?”

The shopkeep, a paunchy man with fading brown hair and a mustache, wiped his spectacles clean before shoving them back up his nose. He blinked a couple times before focusing on Varian. “Have you been living under a rock, boy? The King’s getting a new round of murals up in the castle’s new wing, see, and I’m the only art supplier in town. Now-- is that a _raccoon_ in my shop?”

Varian grunted, looking back towards where Ruddiger was still darting around the shelves. He ignored that for the time being, knuckles drumming on the countertop, and tried not to think about the five coins settled heavily in his pocket. They were for personal supplies; clothes and whatever else he needed. Not for paints. Maybe it was for the best.

But then he got an idea, eyes snapping back up to the squinting man. “What colors do you carry?”

“Pardon me? Speak up.”

“Paints. When you have them. What are the pigments? Do you make them yourself?”

“Make them-- no, of course not, boy! Do I look like an artisan to you?” He let out a raspy guffaw. “Nah, they’re imports from a village down a ways towards the mountain. I’ve got no idea what’s in ‘em. I don’t paint.”

“Neither do I,” Varian mumbled, dragging a hand down his face. “Well, thanks anyway.”

“Hmph. Just get that creature outta here.”

The man’s eyes tracked Varian as he fetched Ruddiger and left, finally resurfacing from the musty shop to the street outside. Stelle stepped up beside him, nose pressing into his arm. 

He could just make out Lance and Eugene in the distance, arguing with Maximus over something, and frowned. He should still have plenty of time, then. They’d take forever trying to figure out what to buy on their own.

Ruddiger chittered in his ear, dangling something over his shoulder, and Varian gasped. He took the glass inkwell with a scolding glare. “Ruddiger! You know that doesn’t belong to us!”

Ruddiger let out some kind of noise that sounded-- he swore-- just like a giggle, skittering up to perch atop Varian’s head between his goggles. Varian sighed, looking between the inkwell and the shop for a second, mind straying to his coins. If he was going to do this himself, he wouldn’t be able to afford both the inkwell and whatever materials the paints would take. Besides, the guy in there must’ve had a thousand of these things!

If he knew they had the Lost Princess of Corona with them, he’d be sure to give her whatever she wanted. It was totally fair! He wasn’t getting it for himself!

Nodding, Varian stowed it away in one of his jacket pockets before he could think too hard about it. Stelle nickered as she watched, judgment clear in the way she stamped her hooves, but he ignored her as he grabbed hold of her reins. “It’ll be fine, girl. It’s just a bottle. No one’s gonna miss it.”

The inkwell wasn’t important. He couldn’t think about it right now. Varian needed to figure out how to make paints.

His eyes traveled to the flowerbeds lining every shop, blooms of every vibrant color he could name, and an idea began to form.

  
  


_____

  
  


“Ohh, Cassandra, what do you think of this one?”

She raised a brow at the green dress. Plain. Practical. Comfy. It could potentially be tied up to allow for running and leaping. Easy to grab, though. Perhaps not the best choice.

“It’s pretty,” she said.

Rapunzel beamed, playing around with the fabric and giggling as she swished the skirts back and forth on the mannequin. The poor shopkeeper, a petite younger woman, watched with a tired stare; they’d been through nearly the entire shop and Rapunzel just wouldn’t quit gushing.

“Would you like to try that one on, miss?” she asked after a minute. “Or are you still looking?”

“Um,” Rapunzel pursed her lips, walking a few circles around the mannequin. Her hair had formed a spiral around its base, a fact that Cassandra was surprised the shopkeeper hadn’t commented on yet. She’d noticed the hair, of course-- Cassandra caught her eyes flicking down to it every now and again, and she'd ducked out the back door for a few minutes upon first seeing it-- but so far, she’d been respectful and quiet. “I don’t know. Pascal, what do you think?”

He chirruped, jumping from her shoulder to the dress. Cassandra watched with some measure of awe as his scales bloomed a paler green to better match the garment, and he turned a few circles before squeaking his approval. Smiling, Rapunzel nodded, turning to the woman. “I like this one!”

Something like relief crossed her face, and she nodded, gesturing for Rapunzel to follow her towards the back of the store. “Of course, miss, right this way. I should have one just your size back here…”

Cassandra sighed, turning away to stare at the mass of colorful cloth lining the shop’s walls. Her own purchase, a simple lightweight tunic and leggings, had taken less than a fourth of the time Rapunzel’s was. Eugene, Lance, and Varian were probably getting close to done by now.

When Rapunzel came out, draped in grass-green cloth with a dull leather traveler’s kirtle, Cassandra tried her best to act upbeat. She really did. Even went so far as to give her a compliment while shoving her money at the shopkeeper. But it was hard to focus-- her hand had begun to throb again, likely needing it bandages changed, and she couldn’t stop thinking about the guards no doubt on their trail. She knew for a fact that they were persistent: even being a larger and therefore slower group, her dad would catch up to them eventually. Every extra second they spent here was a waste.

“Cassandra?” Rapunzel frowned, tilting her head to the side. “Is something wrong? You’re holding your hand again. I thought you said it was getting better.”

She yanked her hands apart, straightening her features. “I’m fine, Princess. If you’re done, we need to be making out way out. It won’t be long before people start talking--”

The door swung open behind them. The shopkeeper’s surprised shout reached Cassandra’s ears as she whipped around, left hand already flying towards her sword hilt, and Rapunzel jumped at the sudden wave of action. She grit her teeth, eyes squinting against the sudden stream of light flowing into the dingy dress shop, and tried to make out who’d come in.

When her vision returned, it was to a short, hook-nosed, rat-faced man. A very familiar short, hook-nosed, rat-faced man.

King Trevor adjusted his too-large crown, stroking his blonde goatee, and smiled a slimy grin at them. “Ah, Beatrice, the rumors are true! How lucky for you! Not only do you supply my castle staff, but you also seem to be attracting foreign royal blood. Nay, you’ve been attracting local _legends._ I must say, when I recieved your message, I wasn't quite sure I believed you.”

“Back off, Trevor,” Cassandra hissed. He hadn’t changed at all since the last time Frederic had called a kingdom-wide meeting a few years ago. “You don’t know who you’re dealing with here.”

“Oh, Cassandra, my lovely dove. How is your father doing?” Trevor peered down his nose at her, poison in his eyes. “I should’ve known you would be the one to escort her! Always knew you had a bright future. Crying shame you’re working for Frederic now.”

Rapunzel stepped forward before Cassandra could answer, smile plastered on her face. Pascal, on the other hand, looked like he might've been plotting a murder. “Hello! You must be the King. Sorry if we’re causing any trouble here!”

“Oh, no trouble at all, pretty princess.” Trevor took one of Rapunzel’s hands in his own, pressing a polite kiss to it and making Cassandra’s stomach flip and Pascal's tail curl. “My my, you do have your mother’s eyes, don’t you?”

Cassandra could _feel_ the tenseness in Rapunzel way before she saw her eye twitch. Still, though, Rapunzel pressed on, that ever-present facade of sunshine covering anything that could be considered impolite. “Ah, I’m not sure? I’ve never seen the Queen…”

The surprise in Trevor’s face was layered on thicker than a noblewoman’s makeup. “Never? Oh, my dear, surely you must be eager to meet your real family after all these years! Walking the roads is no path for a princess, after all-- just look at you! All dirty and scratched up.”

“Actually, I--”

“No, no, say no more, my dear princess. Come with me to the castle. I, the magnanimous King Trevor, shall treat you to every royal luxury you’ve been missing until I can procure a _proper_ team of guards to take you home. Not those Corona idiots that’ve been infesting Equis lately.”

Cassandra could’ve sworn she felt steam coming from her ears. “Your _Majesty,_ I really don’t believe that’s necessary--”

“Silence, peasant! The Princess shall be treated as a royal ought to be, at _least_ for the night.” He held up a hand to quiet her, inspecting his nails instead of seeing her death glare. “As generous as I am, I suppose I can give you board in some of the servants’ quarters as well. But, please, let’s do get a move on. The day is escaping us!”

  
“Yeah, I don’t think so, buddy.” Cassandra shoved an arm in front of Rapunzel. “The Princess is with me, and she doesn’t buy your crap.”

“Cassandra,” Rapunzel gently pushed her arm down. “He’s only trying to help.”

“Rapunzel, you don’t know this guy,” Cassandra insisted, gesturing at him. Pascal nodded vehemently along with Cassandra's claim. “He’s bad news.”

“I think he’s being really sweet.” Rapunzel smiled down at Trevor. “Some help would be great. There’s no need to get me home, though.”

“Oh, of course, whatever the Princess wishes,” he crooned, taking her hands once again and gently tugging her towards the door. A lump settled in Cassandra’s gut at the sight of several armed guards in the street behind him. “Just come this way, my sweet, and I’ll escort you personally to the castle in my royal carriage. Your, er, handmaiden can ride up with the driver.”

Cassandra sighed, eyeing the men as she followed. Swords, bows, even two with halberds… there was no way she could get them out of this, at least not without the others. She needed backup. 

Fidella nickered at her from beside the shop, her eyes soft and questioning, and Cassandra motioned towards where they’d left Eugene, Lance, and Varian earlier with a tip of her head. Understanding filled the horse’s gaze and she nodded, eyeing the guards before sneaking around back and trotting down the street.

Gritting her teeth again, Cassandra turned to the far-too opulent carriage, steeling her resolve and hopping up into her seat. The driver gave her a judgmental stare, scooting over to avoid brushing elbows, and flicked the horses’ reins. _So much for going unnoticed._

  
  


______

  
  


Quirin kept his breaths shallow and his footsteps light as he traversed the outer courtyards, sticking to shadows and groves of trees. A single patch of white was his only guide through the pathways, wool glinting in the moonlight as the stranger continued on his way.

It had been three days since his meeting with Frederic. After officially saying his goodbyes and departing back to Old Corona, Quirin circled back to do some scouting. After the first two days, he’d begun to worry that his paranoia was getting the better of him, but this third night he’d finally gotten a glimpse of the stranger. That same woolen vest, the perfectly-trimmed beard, his sly face and smug eyes-- everything about him screamed untrustworthy. Not to mention the fact that he walked around in a cloak during the daytime and slunk around guards.

They finally emerged into the royal family’s personal garden. The stranger kept walking up towards the gazebo where Frederic and Arianna often ate breakfast together, and when Quirin looked close enough, he could actually make out several other figures waiting for him inside.

He was too far away to hear what they were saying, but the buzz of conversation didn’t escape him, and Quirin’s suspicions only grew as he watched the meeting transpire. He couldn’t risk taking them on here; he was rusty, after all, and he didn’t know how trained the lot of them were. They could have a mage with them, for all he knew. No, the only option for now was to wait and watch. Sometime or another, they'd slip, and Quirin could catch at least one of them alone.

So, he hunkered down and watched.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trevor is a slimeball huh
> 
> Also I'm sorry I don't have any artwork ready ^-^* I'm trying to figure out the style still now that I can draw decent digital stuff. Any new outfits will be shown in future drawings though! (And yes Rapunzel gets a green dress in this fic because... I do what I want)
> 
> See you next chapter ^_^


	4. Creative Thinking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cassandra and Rapunzel try to look for an escape route, while Varian, Lance, and Eugene scheme to get into the castle.
> 
> Meanwhile in Corona, something sinister is taking shape.
> 
> _____

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y ' A L L this chapter gave me SO much grief and I don't know why
> 
> Hopefully things will go smoother for the rest of this story ^-^* This is why I should probably make a thorough plan when going into an arc besides 'team enters Equis and deal with Trevor' with some random idea fragments huh
> 
> Anyway, here's chapter 4! :)
> 
> _____

Rapunzel was, needless to say, uncomfortable.

King Trevor’s castle was a fabulous show, full of paintings and gold trim and gleaming marble. If she’d had something to paint with, she’d have sat down right then and there and copied down everything she saw to keep for the rest of her life. However, simple finery didn’t cover up the fact that Trevor himself reeked distinctly of slimeball.

She tried to be polite. She really did. But it was getting hard. When Rapunzel shied away from his touch once, however, there entered such a hard gleam in his eyes that she didn’t try again. Something inside her screamed that this wasn’t good, but it was so easy to fall back into her submissive, yielding routine.

Cassandra, on the other hand, wasn’t fazed a bit by the palace or by whatever intentions lurked beyond his facade of generous host. Rapunzel spotted her tensing multiple times, especially once when Trevor made a grab for her hair-- commenting on its beauty or something along those lines-- and even Pascal issued a couple of warning hisses.

Finally, having reached a large parlor-type chamber and ushered onto a plush sofa to rest, Rapunzel took in a breath and looked to King Trevor, sitting across a low table from his guests. Guards flanked all three exits, armor gleaming in the tasteful ambient lighting of the room. “I appreciate you taking us here, I really do, but I have other friends down in the city. They’ll be looking for me.”

“Oh, don’t worry, sweet princess. I know all about your little thief entourage! You’ll be safe here, I assure you-- I’ve already got a team of guards on their trail.”

Cassandra tensed beside her, and Rapunzel’s chest tightened. An icy knife jabbed into her stomach. “A-- no, no, they’re my friends! They’re helping me!”

“My dear Rapunzel,” Trevor lay a hand over his heart. “Forgive me for being so brash, but you are just a child. I do not expect you to know when people are taking advantage of you, or are not worthy of your time. In that respect, you are again much like your mother.”

Rapunzel grit her teeth, and she felt Pascal dig his back feet into her shoulder as if he were preparing to jump. Cassandra lurched forward, mouth already opening to spit out an insult, but Rapunzel lay a hand on her arm. They locked eyes, and she shook her head; it wouldn’t do to make Trevor angry.

When Cassandra backed off, gaze still hard and icy, Rapunzel took a deep breath in. “Your Majesty, I really don’t have any wish to go to Corona at the moment. There is something I have to do before I return.”

He leaned forward, smile thin and impatient. “Rapunzel, I believe you forget that you are in _my_ kingdom. As you have not officially claimed your status as Coronan princess, you have no authority here by any measure, either.”

“What are you trying to say?” Cassandra butted in. The guards around them all startled to attention, and Rapunzel glanced to them with bated breath.

“I’m not trying to say anything, my girl. I’m _declaring_ that you and the Princess will stay here until I can get a travel party ready, and you _will_ leave for Corona when it is time.”

That fell heavy on the both of them, Cassandra returning to her seat while Rapunzel curled in on herself. She could _feel_ Cassandra’s anger simmering just under her skin, charged in her tense muscles; one of them had to give before she went off like a bomb, and Rapunzel had a sinking feeling that Trevor wasn’t the type to give up.

Besides, protesting wouldn’t do any good. They could come up with a plan to escape later. For now… she’d just have to play his game.

“Okay. You win. But if you please, we’re very tired from the road.” Rapunzel raised her bare feet, caked in dust and dried mud, to punctuate her point. He recoiled with a disgusted wrinkle of his nose. “Could you just send out an invitation? I don’t think I could travel right now. We were planning on taking a break in Equis, you see.”

Cassandra eyed her, suspicious, but Trevor didn’t pick up on anything. He simply clapped his hands twice, casting a glance to the side. “You heard her, lads! Take these young ladies to the guest rooms!”

Rapunzel winced as the guards stomped up beside her, trying not to think of towers and chains and dark cold chambers, but she didn’t protest-- even when Trevor gave them a chill look and said, “Make sure they’re well guarded.”

She watched Cassandra struggle for a second before quieting down, lips curved in a pensive frown and brows furrowed as the gears turned in her mind. She must’ve had some kind of plan-- either that, or she was working on one. They would have to talk as soon as possible.

Right now, whatever Cassandra had up her sleeve was their best shot, at least until Eugene figured out what was going on.

  
  


_____

  
  


“I dunno, Lance. I feel like it diminishes my smoulder.”

“You kiddin’?” Lance lay a hand on each of Eugene’s shoulders, looking at both of them in the mirror. “That black eye you’ve got going on is way worse than an eyepatch. And, I mean, look at it! Nice leather, gold designs… that is a _fine_ patch.”

Eugene frowned for a moment longer before sighing, picking at the leather. “I guess. Honestly, I kind of like the eye.”

Lance raised a brow. “You _like_ having a magic black eye.”

“You can’t deny it looks awesome.” Eugene flipped up his patch. “I mean, obviously my _original_ face was much more beautiful and I didn’t have to deal with my vision spazzing out, but as things stand--”

The shop door slammed open.

They spun around to see Varian, fallen flat on his face, in the doorway. Eugene furrowed his brows, while Lance stepped forward. The shopkeeper watched from behind the desk, hand clutched to her heart, but made no effort to check on him. “Little guy? What’s going on?”

“They know we’re here!” Varian shouted, scrambling up to his feet and slipping twice in his haste. Ruddiger scampered in after him, hopping on his back and squeaking up at them. “Guards! Both kinds! They’re after us!”

Eugene bit back a curse, flipping his eyepatch back down and running forward to catch Varian and give him some support as he regained his balance. “How many and how far?”

“I-- I dunno? Twenty or so? And they’re not far behind, we’ve gotta _go--”_

“Gotcha.” Lance grabbed the kid, ignoring a yell, and slung him over one shoulder. Ruddiger followed in a hurry, perching on the opposite shoulder. “Where’s the horses?”

“Just around the corner where we left them.”

Eugene and Lance didn’t need any more prompting. Ducking their heads outside and looking around for guards, they shot back down the alley, sticking close to the shadows cast by the Equis buildings. Eugene couldn’t hear anything that might hint at a guard troop’s presence, but then, this wasn’t Corona. Equis was known for its superior security. They likely wouldn’t even notice the guards until it was too late.

He could only hope Rapunzel and Cassandra hadn’t been found yet.

They’d just run up to Stelle, Fancy, and Maximus when a whinny came from behind them. Fearing the worst, Eugene ripped out his dagger, turning with a scowl towards the noise--

“Fidella?”

Cassandra’s horse ground to a stop in front of them, dust clouds puffing around her hooves, and nickered at them. Her eyes were wide and imploring, and when he made eye contact, she tossed her mane with another whinny. His stomach dropped.

“Where’s Cass and Rapunzel?” Eugene demanded, while Lance shoved Varian into Stelle’s saddle.

Fidella bared her teeth, stomping her hooves hard enough to kick up more dust. Stelle and Fancy nickered in response while Maximus tilted his head, and Eugene frowned.

Stelle neighed up at Ruddiger, who chittered back, and Varian’s brows lowered. “I think they know the way, you guys,” he said slowly, and Ruddiger turned to look at him with a nod.

Maximus whinnied in affirmation, and Eugene blew out a breath. “Okay, Max. Can you get us there fast? We’ll have to dodge the guards.”

He snorted, stomping one hoof on the ground. _Of course I can._

“All right, you guys.” Eugene grabbed hold of Maximus’s reins, and they all turned towards the castle in the distance. That didn’t bode well. “Let’s find the girls and get out of here.”

A glint caught the corner of his eye, and Varian gasped. “Guards!”

“Well, if we don’t get arrested first.” He flicked the reins. “ _Go, buddy!_ ”

They shot through the streets, palace looming closer with each step, and Eugene felt his chest grow heavy when he realized where they were going.

Trevor had found her.

  
  


____

“Glue!”

“Glue.”

“Rope!”

“...Rope.”

“Ribbon!”

“Rib-- wait. Why do you need a ribbon?”

“To make it pretty, of course.” Rapunzel snatched the purple ribbon up from Cassandra’s hand, fixing it to her contraption in a bow. She planted both hands on her hips, stepping back to admire her creation. “Perfect!”

Cassandra backed up beside her, head tilting to the side and brows so furrowed they nearly met. “...What is it?”

“It’s a…” Rapunzel glanced down at Pascal, who shrugged, then beamed up at Cassandra. “A thingamajig!”

“...’Kay.” Cassandra’s eyes traced the mass of tangled rope, full of tied-up objects and… whatever else she’d put in there. It just looked like a mess to her. “Uh, what does it do?”

“That’s the fun part!” Rapunzel gestured grandly at the door, barely visible through her creation. “If anyone opens that door, they get a face full of glue and paint! That way, we can escape through the window without worry.”

“Um, do you know how the real world works?” Cassandra frowned. “Craft supplies aren’t going to stop the guards, Princess. Besides, the window over there has bars on it.” Not to mention the fact that when it came time for her to return to her own room, _she'd_ be the one going through that door.

Something dark and haunted crossed Rapunzel’s face at the reminder of that, and Pascal stroked her face even as it went pale. Cassandra watched while she sighed, shoulders slumping. “Yeah, you’re right. This was a stupid idea.”

“I-- I didn’t say _that_ ,” Cassandra rushed to reassure her, biting her lower lip. “Any idea is a good idea right now! We, um, we might incapacitate one of the guards with your... thingamajig.”

“No, Cassandra, it’s okay. Don’t lie.” Rapunzel covered her face with her hands, sighing, and falling back on her plushy bed. The room was big and just as refined as the rest of the palace, but it was cold and empty. Just a cell. “I’m just… trying to stay positive. I have to get out of here. It’s suffocating me.”

Cassandra frowned, walking over to settle herself down beside Rapunzel. “Do you, um, want to talk about it?”

She remained silent for a few seconds before heaving another sigh, hands moving from her face to curl over her chest. “Not really. I… I try not to think about it.”

“Oh.” Cassandra tapped her fingers on the bedspread. “Sorry.”

Rapunzel reached up to lift Pascal, holding him in front of her face. “It’s okay. It… none of any of that was your fault. In fact, if it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t be here to pretend it never happened in the first place.” Rapunzel grunted, sitting up and drawing her legs up to cross them. “I don’t think I ever thanked you properly for helping Eugene find me. So. Thank you, Cassandra.”

“...It’s Cass. All my friends call me Cass.”

Rapunzel blinked, surprised, before her face broke into a smile. “I’m your friend?”

“I--” Cassandra choked when Rapunzel threw herself forward, bony arms wrapping around her hard enough to knock the air from her lungs. Not knowing what else to do, she raised a tentative hand to pat Rapunzel on the back.

“Thank you,” Rapunzel whispered.

“Uh, no problem, Princess.” Cassandra finally had to scoot back in order to break the hug. “I don’t suppose you’ve had many friends before, huh?”

“I mean, I’ve had Pascal since I was little,” Rapunzel smiled, holding Pascal up for Cassandra to see. “And just recently I met Eugene. So I’m not lonely!”

Cassandra’s heart broke, but she smiled through it. “That’s good to hear. Still, though, I’m glad you’re with us now.”

“I am too,” Rapunzel’s voice grew soft, and she folded her hands in her lap. “It’s been amazing so far, traveling with all of you. I mean, it’s only been a day or two, but you’re all such lovely people, and, and…”

Cassandra’s eyes widened. “Princess, are you crying? Don’t-- don’t cry!”

“I’m sorry,” Rapunzel gave her a watery smile, though Cassandra could see just how hard she struggled to keep it up. “I just-- it feels like a dream, you know? Last night, I didn’t want to go to sleep because I felt like I’d wake up and lose all of you again. I’d be back with Moth-- with Gothel.”

“Princess…”

“Call me Rapunzel,” she interrupted, lips fading into a serious curve. “Please. Just-- don’t call me by _what_ I am. My name’s Rapunzel. That’s all.”

“...Of course.” Cassandra reached a hand out to lay it on her shoulder. “We’ll get out of here, Rapunzel. I swear.”

“I know we will.” Rapunzel wiped her eyes, turning her head towards the window. “Eugene’s going to come for us. We just… need to wait.”

“Doesn’t mean we can’t keep looking for an escape route,” Cassandra pointed out, mouth pulling into a grin. “I don’t know about you, but I’m no damsel in distress. In fact, I think I have an idea.”

Rapunzel blinked, then mirrored her expression, and Pascal squeaked in curiosity. “Really? What is it?”

Cassandra’s expression became smug. “Listen here…”

  
  


______

  
  


“ _Ho_ -ly cannoli, guys, I think we lost them,” Lance laughed disbelievingly, peeking out past the row of pillars they’d hidden behind. King Trevor’s royal garden was spacious and well-decorated, a fact that worked immensely in their favor. “Look at ‘em. They’re so confused.”

“Now is _not_ the time to be smug, Lance.” Eugene glanced over to the grove of trees where all three horses had hidden. Spotting Maximus through the branches, hooves planted on the trunk and neck straining up, he winced. Of _course_ it had to be an apple orchard. “We need to get into the castle. Any ideas?”

“Well, I mean, we could always sneak into that huge tower,” Varian pointed upward towards the castle. Following his line of vision, Eugene’s eyes-- or, rather, _eye_ \-- landed on the palace’s tallest turret. It pierced the sky like an arrow, thin and looming against the expanse of dimming blue. A tiny window, dark and empty-looking from here, sat nestled at the very top. “It looks unguarded.”

“For a reason, little guy.” Lance gave him a pointed look. “Eugene and I could totally get up there, but you? No offense, but I don’t think you could make it halfway.”

He looked put out for a minute before sighing. There was something quiet and melancholy behind his eyes. “Yeah, you’re right. I’d just weigh you guys down if we tried that… and the horses can’t climb, anyway.”

“I wouldn’t put climbing beyond Max,” Eugene shook his head, aware of Varian’s sudden despondent mood. Trying to change the subject, he continued, “But we’d get spotted trying to scale the tower in broad daylight. We’d do better trying to get in through the servants’ quarters.”

“Oooh,” Lance looked away from the squabbling guards to cast Eugene a knowing grin. “Reverse Harriet?”

Eugene tipped his head back and forth like a scale. “Eh, we don’t have the build for it like we used to. We wouldn’t pass it off.” Then his gaze traveled to Varian, and his lips stretched into a wide grin. “But he might.”

Varian looked between them with a squint, then his eyes blew wide. Ruddiger tilted his head, a silent question. “Please tell me we’re going to steal a horse or something.”

Lance’s smile was devious. “Remember that chapter in _Two Rogues_ where Harriet sneaks into a male-only bandit camp?”

Varian went stock-still for all of three seconds before slumping. “Oh _no_.”

  
  


______

  
  


The Coronan royal gardens were dark and quiet, peppered with fireflies over a pond and flitting around several blooming fruit trees. Its serenity was broken only by the hum of crickets and frogs, while a few beams of scant light came from the distant hanging lanterns around the castle perimeter. 

Andrew tore his eyes from the peaceful sight and folded his hands in front of him, smiling easily as he settled into his chair. “How’s the plan coming along?”

In the shadowy gazebo, Clementine’s round, wrinkled face looked eerie, and her beady eyes glinted orange. “We’re still locating a wand. Kai’s already got several leads on his own, and the rest of the team is all dispatched throughout Corona and beyond. We’re sure to find one within the month, perhaps even so soon as next week.”

“Wonderful.” Andrew pulled his hair free of its bun, toying with the string between his fingers. “But why call a meeting if there’s no real news?”

“But there is.” She leaned forward, nearly her whole body lifting over the table just to get close enough to whisper. There was something manic in her crooked smile. “You know you’re being followed, don’t you, Hubert?”

“It’s Andrew here,” he reminded her, gentle but firm, before relenting. “And of course I know. Do you think I’m stupid?”

“Of course not,” she waved a hand, soft cackle making her shoulders bob. “I wouldn’t follow you if I did. But sometimes even the wisest people can miss things. Do you know who it is?”

“No, but I do know that he’s cautious.” Andrew fought the urge to glance down at the shrubs in the distance, where the slightest hint of a figure lay hidden. “He never moves from his spot. Just watches. For the past four meetings, he’s just been crouching there, waiting for some kind of opportunity.”

“Perhaps we should give him one,” Clementine mused, fiddling with the collar of her robes. “Do you think we could take him?”

“If I’m honest…?” Andrew shrugged. “Probably. But we’re in a really good place right now. If we’re going to risk drawing attention, then we need to do it with the best odds possible, and that means having all of our team as well as the Wand.”

“Good point.” She clasped her hands together, tiny form wriggling in some kind of excited dance. “Ooh, I can’t wait to try it out!”

“Try to contain your excitement,” Andrew smirked. “We won’t be using it all the time. The plan must progress slowly and carefully if it’s to succeed.”

“I know, I know,” she gave him a dismissive wave. “Saporians are cunning and patient, blah blah blah. Just let me be excited over getting my new wand for a second.”

He shook his head, reaching to put his hair back up. “Well, if that’s all you wanted to tell me--”

“Wait,” Clementine held up a hand, stopping him before he could rise from his chair. “One more thing. Someone caught me on my way here-- someone I think you may want to meet. She agreed to wait outside the castle grounds, but she can’t hang around, so it has to be tonight.”

Andrew raised a brow. “Really? Do we know her?”

Clementine’s lips twisted into a wide, wiry smile. “Boss, I think the whole kingdom knows her. I mean…” she leaned back in her chair, pudgy fingers steepling like some kind of storybook villain's. 

“Who _hasn’t_ heard of Lady Caine?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anybody ready for Reverse Harriet, because I sure am
> 
> (Guess who reached Gerudo Town in LOZ: Breath of the Wild recently)


	5. A Calculated Risk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eugene, Lance, and Varian infiltrate the castle, while Cassandra and Rapunzel take action for themselves.
> 
> Meanwhile, Vex has yet to realize the gravity of her situation, and Andrew makes a friend.
> 
> _____

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry it's taking me so long to write. I have the worst case of writer's block right now and it's a struggle just to add a couple hundred words to anything at the moment. Still, though, I hope you get some enjoyment out of this. ^-^
> 
> _____

Vex’s heart thudded in her chest. Her throat was sore from breathing so hard for so long, and her legs burned, threatening to give up and fall out from under her. She could barely wind through the trees anymore, let alone find her way back to the village she and Adira had been staying near that night.

At last, her body gave out, and she fell to the ground. The grass was nice and soft under her, thankfully, but she couldn’t appreciate it. Everything hurt, and she could feel the blood soaking into her shirt from the cut on her left side. 

She rolled over, squinting up at the sky above. Stars winked back at her, a dusting of tiny quartz shards; the moon was a haunting crescent in the distance, casting just enough light for her to make out silhouettes. Otherwise, the woods around Vex were dark and empty. There was no trace of the village or of Adira-- but then, there was also no trace of her pursuer, so that was one upside.

Vex lay there for a few minutes, waiting until her breath evened out a little and the throbbing in her side petered off to a manageable intensity. Peeling up her shirt a little, she frowned, fumbling around for the tiny pink vial Varian gave her way back in Vardaros. She shook it, and a flood of pink light revealed a shallow cut-- just a scratch, really. It hurt, and badly, but it shouldn’t slow her down too much. She could still defend herself.

“I have the _worst_ luck with these things,” she grumbled, glancing down at the scars still present on her ankles. “First the stupid snake, now this.”

Shaking her head, Vex held up the vial, soft glow reflecting off the trees. After a few minutes of searching around, she caught sight of a break in the woods. Just a thin path, but one she could follow, and maybe get back to the village. Hopefully Adira would be there.

A growl reached her ears.

Vex shot up onto her feet, ignoring the wave of dizziness that came with it, and yanked out her blades. Backing up against one of the thicker trees, she scanned the area, looking for any sign of movement in her tiny sphere of light.

Nothing. There was nothing. Had she just imagined the sound?

Vex grit her teeth, still gripping her weapons, and inched toward the path. Still nothing. Maybe she had just imagined it.

Then she turned around, fully ready to just dash out, and her heart stopped.

The bearcat growled one more time before leaping.

  
  


______

  
  


All in all?

Varian decided he didn’t mind a dress that much.

Sure, it was foreign and not to his tastes. He wouldn’t wear it given another choice. But he couldn’t say it felt _bad_ , especially while he still wearing his trousers under it. If anything really _bothered_ him, it was the fact that he had to take his gloves and goggles off to sell the image.

The servant uniform was simple, a white frock with gold trim along the hems. A handmaid’s veil kept his short hair from view, and his long fringe in the front made it believable that he had more in the back. At the age he was, and being as skinny as he was, he had to agree with Lance and Eugene-- he passed for a younger girl pretty well.

That didn’t mean he felt confident about it.

Now, wandering the halls of King Trevor’s castle, Varian was completely and utterly lost. He kept tailing other servants in hopes that they’d lead him somewhere, but since leaving the servants’ quarters, he’d lost all sense of direction. He didn’t even know what floor he was on.

 _How could anyone_ live _in a place as huge as this?_ He wondered to himself, glancing left and right down two identical hallways. There weren’t even any markers! Every time he picked something to act as a landmark of sorts, he’d round another corner to find the exact same flower vase or table or door or what-have-you. The only things that varied were the paintings, and they were so few and far between out here in the outer parts of the castle that it hardly made a difference.

“If I were Rapunzel, where would I be…?” he whispered to himself. He glanced back at where Ruddiger hid behind a decorative suit of armor, frowning when he just shrugged.

“Wait a moment, young lady!”

Varian jumped, reaching for where his alchemy bag usually lay on his hip out of instinct. It took a second for him to remember that he was a _palace servant girl,_ not a _fugitive alchemist_ , but that was long enough for the guard to get suspicious.

Decked out in shiny armor and armed with a nondescript broadsword, the guard was an imposing sight. It didn’t help when he squinted down his nose at Varian, lips puckering behind his bushy brown mustache. “Are you new here?”

“I, uh,” Varian coughed into his fist. He’d perfected his voice before coming in here, but now that he was faced with actually talking to someone, it proved harder to remember. Even when it came back to him, the words came out a little squeaky. “Yes, sir. I just got here, um, yesterday.”

He stared down at the boy for a second longer before laughing. “Poor girl, you don’t have to be so skittish. What’s the matter?”

Relief washed over him in a cool wave, but he remained tense in case he had to turn tail and run. The guard believed him-- his disguise held up, at least under slight scrutiny. A good sign. “I’m just a little lost, sir.”

“Ah, I can understand that. Believe me, I got lost a time or two in here when I was first in training. Where are you heading?”

“That’s just it. I’m not sure.” Varian crossed his arms and lowered his eyes, adopting as shy and feminine a pose as he could think of, then tried not to burst out laughing at how ridiculous he felt. He succeeded-- externally, at least. “I’m supposed to attend to the Princess? Something about being young and a better match than the other maids.”

The guard stroked his mustache, thinking. It took a heart-pounding minute for him to nod. “His Majesty probably doesn’t want to intimidate the guests. I can see the logic of sending a child.” He turned, pointing down the hall to Varian’s right. “Down that hall, two left turns, and go up the stairs. First door to the right is the princess’s, next one is her handmaid’s.”

He assumed that meant Cassandra-- though, whoever had the nerve to call her a ‘handmaid’ had better take some self-defense classes before she caught wind of it. That thought alone was enough to make Varian beam up at the guard. “Thank you, sir! You’re a lifesaver.”  
“No problem, little lady.” He smiled back. “Just ask around if you get lost again, all right? Us staff have to help each other out, especially when His Majesty goes nuts.”

“Uh, of course.” Varian waved, then made his way down the hall, trying to keep his boots from thumping too heavily on the marble floors.

“Oh-- one more thing?”

Varian froze.

“I don’t know what happened to your face, but don’t hesitate to tell anyone around here if you feel threatened, all right? We castle staff, we’re a family, and family takes care of family. Especially the children.”

Oh. The bruise. Varian had almost-- _almost--_ forgotten it was there. With a knot in his stomach, he cast a shaky smile over his shoulder and nodded. “Yeah. I will. Thanks.”

Finally, he had a lead.

  
  


______

  
  


“What’s taking the little guy so long?” Lance groaned, leaning against the back of the wardrobe. He barely missed hitting his head on the shelves above. “I can’t stay here forever. My everything’s starting to cramp.”

“Maybe this was a bad idea.” Eugene glanced over at the alchemy bag settled between them-- stuffed with Varian’s shirt, jacket, goggles, and gloves. “I mean, kid’s never robbed a castle before. He might have never even stepped foot in one.”

Lance ran a hand down his face. “Oh, he’s lost. He’s so lost. Eugene, we’re terrible big brothers.”

“We don’t _know_ he’s lost,” Eugene rubbed his chin. “Still, though… it might be in our best interests to come up with a plan B. We can take a stealth approach.”

Lance turned to look at him, both brows raised. “Have you already forgotten how hard it was just to sneak in _here_? Trevor’s got the place on lockdown!”

“Excuse you, Lance, but we just so happen to be the world’s most elite thieving duo. If anyone can do it, it’s us.” Eugene tilted his head to the side, peering through a gap between the hinges. The servants’ quarters were still deserted; everyone seemed to be busy today. Doing what, he didn’t know, but he was glad for it: that meant the hallways would likely be empty. As long as they didn’t wander into wherever people were gathering, all they’d have to worry about were the guards. “Okay. Either we can both go together or one of us can stick it out here in case Varian does come back. What do you want to do?”

“Well, the kid knows where to go,” Lance shrugged. “Horses are just outside. If you ask me, we could get in and out no problem.”

“Both of us it is.” Eugene reached for the handle, then paused. “We’re looking for Cass and Rapunzel, not treasure. Just reminding you.”

Lance waved dismissively. “Oh yeah, sure, of course. No treasure. Got it.”

“Just don’t draw attention if you don’t have to.” Eugene pushed the door open with a creak, peeking out for a second before unfolding himself from the wardrobe cubby. Lance followed with a painful _crack_ of his back, rolling his shoulders.

Eugene had just reached for the door to the rest of the castle when the knob wriggled.

The air left Eugene’s lungs. He seized Lance by the arm and pulled him off to the side just in time for the door to swing open, trapping them. He pressed himself up against the wall as tightly as he could, holding his breath, and listened to the footsteps on the other side.

“This is the third time today,” a female voice sighed. There was a soft rustle of cloth, then a strange sound-- brushing hair, he realized. “I love that seal, but he doesn’t know his own weight. Do you know how much effort I put into my hair this morning?”

“We all did, Trisha. We all did.” Another lady. “His Majesty really should train the thing better. If he keeps jumping on everyone like a dog, there’s no way nobles will put up with him at parties and meetings.”

Eugene traded a glance with Lance, tipping his head towards the doorway. Lance nodded, inching out of their hiding place. Peeking out to make sure they were clear, they slipped into the room, keeping their footsteps and breathing as light as possible. The women were both turned away from the door, one of them working on rebraiding the other’s hair, but they couldn’t afford to be anything but cautious.

Slowly, slowly, they slipped into the hallway. When they were finally clear, Eugene puffed out a quiet laugh, hand landing on Lance’s shoulder. “Told you we can still work together.”

“Never doubted it.” Lance’s hands found his hips, and he looked side to side down the hall. “Which way?”

“Well, if they’re keeping the girls anywhere, it’ll be in a tower. So…” Trying to imagine the castle’s layout from inside, Eugene hummed, pointing down the right hall. “Down there, I think.”

“Gotcha. Treasure-- I mean, Princess, here we come!”

Rolling his eyes, Eugene followed.

  
  


______

  
  


“You have to be more careful about these things, Vex.”

She hissed as Adira pressed the cloth to her wound once again, then sighed, laying her head back on the pillow. She stared over at the candle on her bedside table, the only other furniture in the dark cottage room. “Yeah, I know.”

“You shouldn’t have tried to take it on by yourself.”

“I know.”

“Hector’s beasts are just as sadistic as he is. Now that I’ve had to injure one of them, his wrath is only going to be worse--”

“I know, _Mom_ ,” Vex grunted, rolling her eyes. A hot spike of pain erupted in her side in response, and she shouted, her whole body jolting. “ _Ow!”_

“Take this seriously.” Adira’s voice was dark and serious, her eyes hard shards of ice. After a moment, she sighed, folding the now-reddened cloth and setting it aside before reaching for a roll of bandages. “You’re young, and you’re not used to having someone telling you what to do. I understand that. But, Vex, I need you to understand that I chose you, and that means I’d be rather distressed if you went and died on me.”

When Vex didn’t answer, Adira let out a slow, steady breath through her nose. A few minutes passed in silence as she worked on her bandages, finally snipping the end off with a pair of clippers and setting everything aside. “You have to stay with me at all times. Right now, you’re the weak link between the two of us, and Hector will want to come after you.”

“Yeah, I get it.” Vex reached for her necklace, rolling the vial between her fingers. Every time she looked at it, something tugged at her-- like a memory she couldn’t recall. Something about it made her feel special. Like it had been made for her in some way, despite the fact that she’d picked it out from everything Varian had on him. “Sorry.”

Adira’s eyes softened, and she smiled, rising from her knees. “...We need to find you some different clothes. You’ve worn those out.”

“Gosh, you think?” Vex turned back to look at her, brow raised, but her tiny smirk let Adira know she was just joking. Then she sobered, crossing her arms as she sat up. “Do you carry around any money in that huge coat? I mean, I’ve seen you take cheese out of that thing, but never any coins.”

Adira’s lips curved into an amused grin. “I always carry a little just in case, yes. Wait here and rest. I’ll be back soon.”

“Oh, but…” Vex tapped her lip, pretending to think. “Y’know, I could’ve sworn… there was something you said… something like _you have to stay with me at all times_?”

“Don’t make me throw you back in the woods.” Adira winked, backing up towards the door. “I won’t go far, don’t worry. Just get some rest so your side can heal. When you’re up for it again, I’m teaching you how to block and dodge.”

“I know how to do that already!” Vex called after her, then laughed, turning over to snuggle deeper into the covers. She wouldn’t lie; after following Adira’s intense schedule and sleeping around six hours a night for a week straight, a nap sounded pretty nice.

Clutching the tiny vial in one hand, she drifted off to sleep, unaware of the eyes peering into her window from a distant rooftop.

  
  


_______

  
  


“Okay! The plan is a go!” Rapunzel whisper-yelled, freckles bunching up as she grinned. She bounced up and down on the remains of her disassembled bed. “Ready?”

“Born ready,” Cassandra hefted the gigantic bedpost under one arm, sinking down a little in preparation. Royal beds were _really_ oversized, especially considering Trevor saw fit to make the frame out of solid marble to match the castle columns. Ridiculous. “One.”

“Two!”

“Three.” Sucking in a breath, Cassandra braced herself, then took off across the room.

The door didn’t stand a chance. The crash reverberated down the halls, loud enough that Rapunzel wondered just how much of the castle heard. Nevertheless, she hopped off the bed, reaching Cassandra’s side just in time to catch her gasp.

Outside, of course, were two guards-- whom Cassandra had torn down the metal curtain hangers to deal with-- but there was also a third, shorter figure. A very familiar one.

“... _Kid_?” Cassandra asked, even as she slammed a hanger into one guard’s face and

turning around to sweep the other’s legs out from under him. “What are _you_ doing here? In _that_?”

Rapunzel pushed past her, reaching out to grab Varian and pull him into a bone-crushing hug. Well, it would’ve been bone-crushing, had she possessed the strength for it. “Oh, Varian! I’m so glad you’re here! Where are Eugene and Lance?”

“Hiding,” he mumbled down at his feet. Now that Cassandra had taken care of the guards, Ruddiger had jumped out from somewhere in the shadows, rubbing around his legs like a cat. “They sent me up here. Um. They wouldn’t really fit the disguise.”

Cassandra snorted. “Ah, that’s a funny thought. Lance and Eugene in a dress.” Kicking one of the guards away from her, she turned on Varian, amusement dancing behind her carefully-constructed mask. “Where are they?”

“I’m sure they’d look terrific in whatever they wanted to wear, _Cass_ ,” Rapunzel pursed her lips in a sassy expression before turning back to Varian and smiling. “But yeah, we need to get to Lance and Eugene. You know where they are, right?”

“Uh, yeah…” Varian glanced down the hall. “You do know there are guards coming, don’t you?”

Cassandra cursed. She snatched both swords from the fallen guards, holding one in each hand. “Run, you guys. I’ll take care of ‘em.”

“How will you get out, though?” Rapunzel asked, already gathering her hair up into a bundle to carry. Varian didn’t say anything, but she could see the same question in his eyes.

“I’ll catch up. Just go already!”

She bit her lip. As much as she hated leaving Cassandra behind, she was still too weak to help, and Varian-- well. They both needed to get out of there. Nodding, she grabbed Varian’s hand and pulled him into a run.

“Do you know how to get back out of here?” Varian shouted. “‘Cause I’m lost.”

“I think I remember the way out!” Rapunzel glanced back. “Where are Lance and Eugene?”

“Servants’ quarters, but we can send Ruddiger in from outside to get them.”

“Then let’s get out of here.” Spotting a window, Rapunzel dropped Varian’s hand, scanning their surroundings for anything heavy. A decorative suit of armor yielded a steel halberd, which she hefted with some difficulty. “Get back!”

Varian, alarmed and confused in equal measure, scrambled to the opposite wall. Rapunzel backed up as well, lifting the weapon like she’d seen Cass do with the bedpost earlier. Counting to three in her mind, Rapunzel took in a sharp breath, then jabbed it forward into the window.

Varian stared. “...You know, we could’ve just opened it.”

Rapunzel’s brows knit. “What?”  
“All the windows aren’t locked.” Varian stepped up to the window, broken glass crunching under his boots, and undid the latch. Its ragged remains swung open effortlessly.

“Oh.” Rapunzel shrugged, unfolding her hair and rearing back. With a hard grunt, she launched it out the window, years of practice making it easy to lasso one of the beams just above them coming from the roof.

Then she grabbed Varian by the waist. He’d been watching with a mix of curiosity and bafflement so far, but now, there was nothing but fear on his face. “What are you doing!?”

Rapunzel grinned down at him. “Just hold on!”

A moment later, they were swinging _out of the castle,_ Varian screaming the whole way.

  
  


______

  
  
  


“Glad to see you finally made it.”

Andrew crossed his arms. The woman was deathly pale, a cold ice to her eyes as she twirled a dagger between her fingers that made him wary. He could tell, just by looking at her, that this wasn’t someone he could trust. Still… if the rumors were true in any measure, it would be in his best interests to listen. “I don’t work on your schedule. Clementine says you wanted to talk?”

“Yep.” She popped the P, lips curving into something sharp-- more scythe than smile. Red curls, escapees from a tight bun, bounced on her forehead like winding streams of blood. Out here in the middle of the night, just outside the castle walls, it produced a striking contrast. “People tell me you’re looking to take down old King Freddie.”

“Yeah. Have a problem?”

“Who, me? Nah.” Caine smiled, bringing the dagger up in front of her throat. “I’m here to help. Got something to say to His Majesty.”

She yanked it through the air, gliding just a hair’s breadth from her skin.

Andrew smiled. “Let's talk.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel's ability to grab anything with her hair is void of any logic whatsoever,, just call it a nod to canon and don't think about it too hard. 'S what I did
> 
> also, Vex better watch out
> 
> That's all I'm sayin


	6. Escape

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The party finally gets back together and works to escape Trevor's clutches.
> 
> ____

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just please ignore the chapter titles. I have no more ideas for them. At all
> 
> In other news--- GUYS!!! The spoilers!! Varian's getting kidnapped!  
> (Should I be this excited for a kidnapping? Probably not! Do I care? No!)  
> I'm so excited for these last few weeks of canon... and yet so sad at the same time. Either way, though, new lore will help me a ton in writing this, so that's always a good thing.
> 
> Anyway! I hope you enjoy!<3
> 
> ____

“Eugene,” Lance huffed, leaning heavily against the stone wall of the tower. “Eugene, are you sure Trevor’s keeping them all the way up here?”

“Well, I mean, it’s the highest point in the castle,” Eugene pointed out, trying not to wheeze. He’d always been in fantastic shape, but this… this was a whole new level of exertion. Just who exactly had any reason to go up this many steps? “And if I know Trevor, he’ll keep a high-profile ‘guest’ in the most hard-to-reach place he can find, short of the dungeons.”

“Still,” Lance finally had to stop and catch his breath. “Isn’t Rapunzel really weak right now? How would she climb all these stairs?”

“Look, we’re almost to the top now. Let’s just take a peek. If she and Cass aren’t in there, then we’ll leave.” Eugene glanced over his shoulder, watching as Lance groaned and pushed himself back off the wall. “And then go find Varian, wherever he ended up.”

There was no response, but then, he wasn’t watching for rude gestures.

When they finally reached the top, huffing and puffing, Eugene reached for his dagger and Lance his new sword. Trading a glance with his friend, Eugene reached for the doorknob, staring down the heavy oak door with a twisting stomach. Up here in a tower, urgency making every nerve in his body tingle… it was familiar, and not in a good way.

He swung the door open, knife arm ready to swing.

A lump blinked back at him.

“Is that… a seal?” Lance pushed past Eugene, mouth open and eyes shining. The seal barked at him, clapping its flippers, and he sank to his knees to pet it. “Hey, little buddy! What are you doing all the way up here?”

“...A seal. Trevor keeps a _seal_ in his highest and most protected tower.” Eugene dragged a hand down his face. “Of course. Just… of course he does. Why wouldn’t he?”

“Eugeeeeene,” Lance turned to him, bottom lip poking out. The seal mirrored his expression perfectly… somehow. “We can’t just leave him here.”

“Do _you_ want to carry him all the way back down?” Eugene crossed his arms, brow raising. “Because I’m not.”

“Nah, he can get down the stairs by himself. It’s a downward incline.” Lance scratched under the seal’s chin. “Right, buddy?”

The seal barked in agreement, and Eugene huffed. “Fine. Just-- you’re the one taking care of it, all right? We need to get go--”

The sound was distant. Quiet. Most people would’ve discounted it for now, perhaps even not notice it.

But Eugene had spent most of his life listening for the sound of armor clanking and deep voices echoing down the halls.

Lance turned to him, and Eugene felt his insides twist.

They were trapped.

  
  


______

  
  


“Can you get in?” Rapunzel asked, leaning down to try and get a better look through the passage. No luck, though-- Varian’s skirts completely blocked her view.

“Well, Ruddiger hasn’t made any servant girls scream yet, so I think we’re good.” He wriggled back out of the grate, rubbing the grime from his face, and glanced up at her. “Yell if you see any guards, okay? I’ll be right back out with Lance and Eugene. They should still be hiding in there.”

“Don’t worry! We’ve got this covered.” She grinned, gesturing to the four horses behind her. “Five sets of eyes will be able to spot anything.”

“Still. Be careful.” Varian sucked in a breath before ducking back into the grate. This time, he clambered all the way through, the sound of his knees hitting the metal making Rapunzel wince.

Stelle whinnied after him, stepping forward, and Fancy nuzzled the side of her face. Rapunzel frowned, brows furrowing, and reached up to stroke the horse’s mane. “Don’t worry, sweetheart, he’s coming back.”

Maximus, who’d been craning his neck to peer through the decorative trees at the courtyard, glanced back to nicker. Stelle’s eyes dropped, and she pawed at the ground with one of her hooves.

Rapunzel frowned. “Max, are you scolding her?”

Fidella tossed her mane, head bobbing in agreement with Rapunzel. Fancy joined in too, and soon Rapunzel found herself in the middle of what could only be described as an argument. She glanced down at Pascal, and they shared a look before he shrugged.

“Hey, Rapunzel?” Varian’s voice emanated from the grate, tearing her attention from the horses. “I think we have a problem.”

She leaned down, peering through the grate at Varian as he climbed out. He’d shed the dress, now back in his jacket and dragging his alchemy bag behind him. “What do you mean? What’s wrong?”

She backed up, watching as he tumbled back out of the passage. Ruddiger followed with a chitter, but… no Eugene or Lance. Understanding settled over Rapunzel just as he answered: “They’re gone. I don’t know where.”

“That’s not good,” Rapunzel wrung her hands. “Do you think the guards got them?”

“Maybe?” Varian adjusted his goggles, glancing at Ruddiger as he nosed around in the bushes. “Oh, man, what are we gonna do? Cassie’s not here either… we’re _alone_.”

“I’m sure Cassandra has a plan,” Rapunzel didn’t sound convinced, even to herself. “Um… maybe we should just wait here?”

“No, no, that won’t work…” Varian groaned, running a hand through his bangs. “The guards will be out looking for us. If we stay here, they’ll--”

Ruddiger’s screech cut Varian off. The horses fell abruptly silent, and they all turned just in time to see the glint of armor from the courtyard. Rapunzel’s heart lurched at the sight, and Varian’s face went white as paper.

“Ooookay. That is-- that’s not good. We gotta get out of here.” Varian sucked on his teeth, eyes darting from side to side. “Where do you think we should go?”

“Hold on.” Rapunzel padded closer, tilting her head to get a better look. At least ten guards had gathered outside, but they weren’t approaching them. In fact, they seemed to be making slow progress towards the royal gardens, with…

“Cass,” Rapunzel breathed. She looked over her shoulder, meeting Varian’s wide blue eyes.

“What?”

“ _They’ve got Cass_!”

  
  


_______

  
  


“Well,” Lance sighed. “I’ve enjoyed our time together. You’ve been like a brother to me. Truly, I believe meeting you was the most valuable--”

“Buddy, you don’t have to butter up the seal. It doesn’t care that you’re stealing all its treasure.” Eugene fiddled again with the ropes, pulling them taut around the pegs he’d wedged just under the windowsill. The heavy, clanking footsteps outside made every action shaky; he’d escaped out of high windows before, but somehow, having Rapunzel to think about made everything seem somehow more dangerous. More _real._ “Mind helping me out a little here?”

“You’re the escape artist, Eugene. Besides, I have to figure out a way to carry Clovis and all this stuff down the rope.”

“Clovis?” Eugene huffed. “You’re not keeping the thing. Why would you name it?”

“Who says I’m not keeping it?”

“Oh, I dunno, our lack of seal food and transportation? Or the fact that there is _no way_ you’re getting him out of--” The doorknob rattled, and the pile of furniture they’d used to barricade the door wobbled. Paling, Eugene pulled the last of the rope in place and darted for the window. Muttering a quick prayer under his breath, he swung himself out the window, scrabbling for a moment before his boots found purchase on the stone wall outside. “Lance, c’mon! And leave the seal!”

Lance pouted, petting ‘Clovis’ one last time before following. “I’ll be back for you, buddy!”

“No you won’t!” Eugene shouted up. The knob rattled again, this time accompanied by shouting and heavy blows to the door-- likely a kick. “Hurry!”

“I’m coming, I’m coming,” Lance swung out behind him, pockets bulging with coins and jewelry and who-knew-what-else. He’d question why the seal had all those things locked up with it, but then, this was Trevor they were dealing with. “We heading back to the hiding spot?”

“It’s our only way back in,” Eugene huffed, climbing down as fast as he possibly could. Above, he could hear furniture toppling off their barricade, along with a stream of barking from the seal. “And who knows? Maybe Varian succeeded and he’s back there already.”

“I hope so. Y’know, I’m missing the little guy already.”

“I--” Eugene stopped midsentence when something caught his eye.

“What?” Lance’s brows furrowed. “What are you looking at?”

Then the rope vibrated, and he looked over his shoulder to see a guard standing in the window. Lance’s mouth dropped open, and both of them tensed when the guard wedged his sword up under the rope, a smug smile playing at his mouth.

“He wouldn’t,” Lance mumbled under his breath.

The guard yanked his blade, the rope snapped, and the world fell out from under them.

Eugene couldn’t help it. He screamed at the top of his lungs, a sound of pure terror that he wasn’t sure he’d ever actually made in his life. The wind whistled in his ears as he plummeted through the air, hair whipping at his face and his vision already growing fuzzy from pure fear. In that moment, he saw his life flash before his eyes even as his stomach filled with lead-- snatching cherry tarts with Lance, stealing his first comb, stealing his first horse, taking off with Rapunzel’s crown, climbing her tower…

In fact, so many of his best memories featured Rapunzel that when he fell into a cocoon of gold, not even the painful shock running through his body could convince him that he was really seeing correctly.

“Eugene!” Rapunzel gasped, from breathlessness as well as surprise. Her arms were shaking from the effort of holding up her hair, even strung up in the trees as it was, and he could feel himself being slowly lowered towards the ground. “Lance!”

“Princess!” Lance shot up right away, huge grin on his face even as Fancy nuzzled him hard enough to push him over a step or two. “You’re okay!”

She flashed him a smile-- though a wary one, as if he’d said something wrong-- before turning to Eugene. Pascal gave a concerned squeak at his condition, and Rapunzel frowned. “Are you okay? Did you get hurt?”

“Sunshine,” he shuddered out. He wanted to get up, to wrap her in a hug, to kiss the top of her head and repeat that she was all right and safe and okay. But all he could get out was, “I think I’m gonna be sick.”

“Gross. Do it over there, outside the hammock.” Lance hopped right up, seemingly unfazed, and tugged Eugene to his feet with minimal effort. The world still spun in Eugene’s eyes, and his feet were unsteady under him, but he was alive. “Glad we found you, Princess! And little guy! I guess that means you succeeded, huh?”

“Obviously not as you were expecting,” Varian replied dryly. Eugene caught his dissatisfied look, along with Ruddiger’s hasty imitation, his little paws crossed over his chest and mouth set in a frown that just looked goofy on his chubby face. “You guys made me put on a dress just to run off on your own?”

“Look, the wardrobe gets really cramped with two grown men in there. Besides, it all worked out!” Lance glanced to his friend. “Right, Eugene?”

“Guys, let’s not argue,” Rapunzel held up one hand before Varian could reply, using the other to tug her hair free of the trees. She gestured at Maximus with a tip of her head, who was staring out into the courtyard alongside Fidella. “They’re keeping an eye on it, but we need to get moving. Cass stayed back to buy us some time to escape, but the guards caught up to her. I don’t know what they’re planning to do, but we can’t let them.”

“Of course someone else is captive again,” Eugene sighed, trying to comb his hair back into place with his fingers. “I’m about done with going into cities like this. We should stick to traveling merchants or something.”

“We can talk about that after we rescue Cass. Until then…” Rapunzel wrapped her hair up into a neat little bundle, frowning as she hefted it. They really needed to find something to help with that. “Max and Fidella should know where to go. We need to grab her and get out of Equis.”

“Especially before the Corona guards catch wind of all of this. I saw them prowling around earlier, and it won’t be long until they hear about Cassie.” Varian tugged on his jacket collar. “You guys have any ideas?”

“Other than mount the horses and blitz in there?” When everyone turned to Lance with incredulous faces, he just shrugged. “I mean, it’s an option.”

“Yeah, if we want to get the horses stabbed.” Maximus tossed his mane at that, while the others answered with a chorus of displeased neighs. Eugene shook his head. “No, I’ll sneak in there and snap her bonds. I’ll just need some kind of distraction.”

“I’ve got you covered in that department.” Varian lifted a small, dark orb from his alchemy bag. “Smoke bombs. With the miracle of science, we’ll get Cassie out of there in--”

“Great. So you smoke up the place, I’ll grab Cass, we get out of here.” Eugene nodded to himself, mind already whirling with possibilities. “Lance, stay close in case anything goes wrong. Same for you, Max. The rest of you, stay out of sight. Especially you, Sunshine.”

Rapunzel scoffed. “Why? I can totally help!”

“You’re barely holding up your own hair. I appreciate the enthusiasm, sweetheart, but wait a few weeks when your strength comes back.” He pulled her into a side hug. “I don’t want you hurting yourself, okay? Besides, the fewer people involved in this, the better.”

“Okay,” she sighed. “Just be careful.”

“For you guys, I will.” Eugene winked down at her, then turned to Maximus and Fidella. “You guys know where she’s at?”

Maximus nickered, raising a hoof down the left of the courtyard, and Eugene nodded. “All right. Let’s do this thing.”

  
  


_____

  
  


Cassandra had never wanted to punch a man more in her life, and that was saying something.

“So what now, Trevor?” she hissed, glaring at the guards holding her chains. The royal gardens were in full bloom, buzzing with insects and busting with color, but all she could see was red. “Are you gonna throw me in the dungeons?”

“Well, you see, that’s what my adviser told me to do. I, on the other hand, think you would be better suited to the gallows.”

It took a second for those words to register in Cassandra’s brain. When they did, her jaw fell slack, and she felt the air in her lungs grow heavy. 

He was… going to _execute_ her?

Before she could hyperventilate-- or start shouting and kicking, she wasn’t sure which would happen-- Trevor held up a hand. “Don’t worry, don’t worry. I’ve decided to do neither of these things. You see, a friend of mine decided to show up just for your sake.”

The circle of guards split just behind Trevor, admitting a very familiar face.

Cassandra gasped. “ _Dad_?”

“Honey.” The word was more of a soft breath, a sigh of relief. She could see in his posture the desire to run forward and hug her close, something that made her heart ache. She hadn’t realized how much she missed him. “I don’t know what you’ve gotten yourself into, but we’re going home.”

“Dad…” Cassandra shook her head. “I can’t go home yet. I found the Princess, Dad.”

“All the more reason to go back.” He turned to Trevor, hand clasped over his heart. “Majesty, we’ll be leaving now. She won’t bother you here again.”

“I do hope not. She’s proven more trouble than she’s worth.” Trevor clapped his hands. “Someone please bring forth Trevor Junior! He must be here for the departure of our esteemed guests. I told you to fetch him half an hour ago!”

A moment passed before one of the guards stumbled forward, hefting a blob of what Cassandra thought might be seal. A bark confirmed her theory, along with the clapping of flippers, and for a second she forgot the severity of her situation. The man who’d been carrying the seal, once he caught his breath, leaned over to whisper something to Trevor-- about what, she didn’t know.

She shook her head; she could ponder Trevor’s oddities later. Instead, she looked to her dad again. “Please, you don’t understand what’s going on. We have to keep going.”

“Who? You and the band of thieves you’ve been running around with?” Cassandra flinched at that, and her dad sighed. “Look, honey, I know you. I know you’ve got good intentions. But I can’t let you run off with Flynn Rider and his pals.”

“But--”

“No buts, Cassandra.” He shook his head, glancing down for a split second at the seal. “We’re going back home.”

“ _Dad_ \--”

The world went up in smoke.

It caught her off guard at first, and she tensed, peering through the gray clouds and readying herself to fight if she had to. The guards who’d been holding her chains let go, their shouts drawing away from her and the sound of swords being drawn echoing throughout the group.

She almost kicked backward when something took hold of her wrist, but a whisper made her stop short. “Shh. I’m gonna pick the lock, alright?”

“Eugene?” Cassandra let out a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding. “Where are the others?”

“Varian’s waiting for us just beyond the rosebushes. The rest are back outside the servants’ quarters.” A quiet _click,_ and the chains fell slack into Eugene’s waiting palms. She rubbed her wrists, squinting with watery eyes through the gray plumes. She didn’t know how long the smokescreen would last; for all she knew, Varian would keep tossing bombs until they made it out. “You didn’t happen to grab my sword somewhere, did you?”

“...No, but I can snatch one for you.”

“You can do that?”

“Ha! Piece of cake.” Eugene nudged her to the left. “Go that way. Varian will lead you to the hiding spot.”

“Don’t get yourself killed.”

“I’ll just take a second. Go!”

Cassandra didn’t need to be told twice. She took off through the smoke, surfacing from the cloud with a belated coughing fit. She spotted Varian peeking out from behind a line of shrubbery not far away. He broke eye contact the second they made it, and she felt her heart twist-- but now wasn’t the time to worry about their friendship.

She reached him within seconds. Ruddiger greeted her with a chirp, and she gave him a rough pat on the head before looking down at Varian. “Eugene says you know where to go?”

“Um, yeah.” Varian glanced back at the slowly-dissipating smoke. “Where’s Eugene?”

“He’s coming.” She grabbed Varian by the waist, hoisting him into Maximus’s saddle, before mounting Fidella. “Now where are you guys hiding out?”

Varian pointed, and Cassandra flicked her reins.

  
  


_______

  
  


Rapunzel gasped when she saw the figures approaching. She would’ve dove forward if it weren’t for Lance seizing her by the shoulders, pulling her further back into the hiding spot with Fancy and Stelle. “Princess!” he berated. “They’ll see you!”

“Right, right, sorry,” she flashed a smile back at him, then turned to watch Maximus and Fidella dash behind the line of trees and shrubbery. She flung herself out of Lance’s grip and towards Cassandra, enveloping her in a hug. She barely got out a grunt before Rapunzel let her go to do the same to Varian. “Oh, I’m so glad you guys made it out all right! But… where’s Eugene?”

“Stealing. What else would he be doing?” Cassandra smirked, ignoring Maximus’s indignant whinny. “I mean, he is stealing something, but it’s for me. And I feel justified in saying that after all this, we deserve a little compensation.”

“Man, am I glad to hear you say that!” Lance laughed, reaching into his pockets to pull out a string of fat, lustrous pearls. “I was wondering what you’d say--”

“Lance,” Cassandra asked, aghast. “How much did you take?”

He paused, eyes wide. “Um, I dunno. I just picked up all the shiny stuff.”

Cassandra sighed, one hand on her hip and the other pinching the bridge of her nose. Similarly, Maximus gave a disapproving huff. “I thought you both decided not to steal anything inessential? Since, you know, I _am_ going to be a guard when I get back home? Dad’s already ticked off at the fact that I’m traveling with you.”

Rapunzel, who’d remained silent the entire time, found her attention drawn to Varian. He shared a strange, knowing glance with Ruddiger, and his hand drifted over his jacket pockets. He looked… _guilty_ , for some reason.

“Old habits die hard, I guess,” Lance shrugged. “And we needed money.”

“You know what? Fine. We’re still a while off from getting to Corona.” Cassandra sighed, crossing her arms. “Just make sure your thieving habits are taken care of. Please?”

“I’ll try my best,” Lance lay a hand over his heart. “I swear on my-- Eugene?”

“What?”

“Eugene!” Lance called, and Rapunzel was surprised to hear laughter in his voice. This time, when she caught sight of him, Lance wasn’t there to stop her from running out to meet Eugene-- but that was before she realized what he was carrying.

“What is that?” she managed, staring at the lump in his arms.

“Stupid seal,” Eugene puffed out, setting down the lump. Rapunzel jumped a little when it rolled over, flippers beating at the air. “It was trying to escape in the chaos. Pity got the better of me.”

It rolled over once more, this time to reveal a chubby face. Rapunzel gasped when it smiled up at her, and she sank to her knees, grabbing it by both cheeks. “Oh my _gosh,_ you are just the cutest little thing!... Besides you, Pascal.”

Pascal, who’d been giving her the stinkeye a moment before, chirruped.

“That’s nice and all, Eugene, but who’s gonna carry it?” Cassandra looked down at the seal, face filling with disgust. 

Maximus stepped forward, nosing at the seal, and gave a confident neigh.

Cassandra raised a brow, then shrugged. “Alright, fine. As long as I don’t have to do it. Let’s just get out of here.”

The clanking of armor once again reached Rapunzel’s ears, and Eugene nodded, taking her by the shoulders to lead her away. “Yes, let’s.”

Together, they fled.

  
  


_______

  
  


“See anything?”

Catalina glanced down, shaking her head.

“Awesome. Now get off. My shoulders are aching.”

Kiera waited until Catalina had jumped off before rolling her shoulders, grumbling under her breath. Out here on the cliffside, it was just windy enough to make her chilly; she was beyond ready to have some shelter. “So the cave’s empty right now.”

Another nod.

“Great, so we’ve got somewhere to wait until Lance gets back.” Kiera cracked her knuckles, fingers searching the cliffside. Finding purchase, she scrambled up the wall like a spider. Even though Catalina said the coast was clear, she looked both ways before dashing across to the cave.

The inside was dark and damp, riddled with rotted furniture and pieces of multicolored broken glass. It seemed that whoever had been hiding out here last had taken all their treasures with them; once again, she and Catalina would have to build their way up from the bottom. That was fine, though. They’d done it so many times by now that it was no longer an issue; rather, Kiera found survival to be an enjoyable challenge, always kept fresh by changing environments and circumstances.

“Kia,” Catalina mumbled, just loud enough to be heard. “I don’t like it here.”

“Don’t be a baby, it’s just a little dark. C’mon, help be find some flint or something.” Kiera dropped to the floor, digging through the piles of debris scattered throughout the cavern. Catalina followed suit, the soft rustle of her search filling their new hideout and echoing off the walls.

Finally, Kiera’s fingertips found smooth stone, and she held up a solid chunk of flint. “Aha!”

“Flint?”

At Kiera’s nod, Catalina smiled, holding up a small piece of twisted metal.

It wasn’t long before they had a nice fire crackling between them, orange light forming a bubble that didn’t quite reach the corners of the cave. Kiera reached into the bag slung over her shoulder, lifting an apple out, and set it just far enough from the flames that it didn’t catch fire. It wouldn’t do as well as it would in an oven, but she’d found it helped bring out the sweetness a bit more, and hot food always felt more filling.

“Kia?”

She glanced up, finding Catalina’s face drawn and sad-looking, and furrowed her brows. “Yeah?”

“Do you think Lance is really coming back?”

Kiera fell silent. She stoked the fire to stall for a moment, breathing out a sigh. “I… I don’t know, Cat.”

“I hope he does.” Catalina ran her fingers through her hair, and Kiera noticed her facepaint was getting a little smudged. They’d have to fix that soon. “He seemed like he really meant it.”

Kiera bit the inside of her cheek, reaching to check the apple. Still hard. “We can’t put too much stock in his word, you know. We’ll move on in a month or so if he’s not back by then.”

“I know.” Catalina sighed, turning away from the fire and breaking eye contact in the process. “I… I can’t help but hope, though.”

For a moment, the cave was filled only with the crackle of their fire. Then Kiera’s lips tugged up into a tiny, soft smile. “Yeah, me neither.”

And for a little while, that hope stayed, a bloom of warmth more comforting than the fire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this took a while to come out. *Insert typical excuses here*. I know you don't care to listen to why I'm having trouble, but please know I'm not deliberately blowing it off. I don't have a lot of free time at the moment and writer's block is awful.
> 
> Also, sorry if anything sounded a little off. I am so done with this Equis arc, haha. It went so off-course from the few bare-bones plans I had that I was just kind of scrambling for what to do around the end.
> 
> Hope you liked it regardless! Oh, and I hope you enjoyed the little glimpse into what out two favorite young thieves are doing :) Don't worry, they'll be a part of the story again later. I didn't forget.
> 
> See you next chapter!


	7. Marshmallows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally out of Equis, the party takes a moment to breathe and collect themselves for the journey ahead.
> 
> However, not everyone came out unscathed.
> 
> ____

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew this one was a ton easier to write. Back in business, baby :D
> 
> Please enjoy some fluffy bonding time ^_^ (and the other stuff that came to ruin it haha)
> 
> ____

Cassandra hissed under her breath as she peeled away the bandages.

Not for the first time, she was glad everyone seemed to understand her need to be alone every now and again. She didn’t want anyone else-- especially Varian-- seeing what she had to do every time she used her hand.

The blood was everywhere. Dozens of tiny open wounds, all irritated and pulsing with pain, screamed at her from the middle of her right forearm to the tips of her fingers. She really shouldn’t have used that other sword. She should’ve just let it lie there, should’ve taken the chance that someone else would pick it up while she was distracted. She’d still been caught, anyway; dual wielding those broadswords like some kind of amateur had been one of the worst possible mistakes she could’ve made in that moment.

She shook her head, trying to forget about the sight of Trevor’s castle walls and the fleet of silver-plated guards. Cassandra reached for the roll of bandages she’d brought with her, nestling it in her lap, before reaching for Varian’s vial of antiseptic.

_Here goes nothing._

He’d told her it would burn, but Cassandra-- stalwart, unyielding, resilient Cassandra-- shouted as soon as it hit her wounds, letting loose a barrage of curses at the trees surrounding her. She grit her teeth, breathing in and out as her nerves went up in flames; it almost felt worse than when she’d first blown it up with Varian’s crossbow.

 _Varian._ Cassandra lowered her head, body shaking, cradling her right hand in gentle fingers. She knew, deep down, that it wasn’t entirely his fault. This certainly hadn’t been his intention. And yet, above that lay a thick layer of resentment that refused to go away, and it was only fed by the burning pain every time she had to mess with her hand. She knew it was wrong. She knew he felt guilty, and that if given the choice, there was a large chance he’d decide to take the consequences in her stead.

But… it _hurt._

And she was _angry._

Cassandra finally worked up the courage to wrap up her hand, though it took several minutes-- she kept having to stop, take a breath, and start again. When she finally reached the end of the roll, she brought her knees up to her chest, taking in steadying breaths and blowing them back out. It was over. No more. Done.

...Though, maybe it wouldn’t hurt to stay away from the others for a few more minutes. After all, she needed all the practice she could get if she was going to be able to fight with any level of skill.

Reaching for her sword, Cassandra grunted, gripping it in her left hand and rearing back for a swing.

  
  


_______

  
  
  


Varian sucked in a deep breath as he gazed at the fire. Rapunzel, Lance, and Eugene were all gathered around as they each took turns roasting a myriad of things over the flames and laughing all the while. He caught a few mentions of gold and the Baron, so he guessed they were probably recounting tales of their old thieving habits-- an assumption supported by Maximus’s judgmental squints and occasional interjections.

Something tickled the side of his face, and Varian turned his eyes to Ruddiger. The raccoon tilted his head, a question in his eyes. _Why aren’t you over there?_

Varian bit his bottom lip. The inkwell-turned-paint-bottle, now corked and filled with clear liquid, felt heavy as an iron block in his hands. Even leaned up against a tree as he was, peering into the camp from afar, he could feel his legs shake. He didn’t know why.

None of them knew what he’d done. It hadn’t even been that bad. For goodness’ sake, Eugene and Lance were over there bragging about all the valuable things they’d stolen, and here he was worrying about a little glass bottle.

Still, something kept him rooted to the spot.

A puff of warm air brushed over his shoulder, and he sighed. “You guys aren’t going to let me sit here, are you?”

Stelle nickered, and he could’ve sworn it sounded a little amused.

Varian sighed, watching the group a little longer. Just when he’d worked up his nerve, Eugene stretched and stood, saying something to Rapunzel before turning to Lance. Varian’s brows furrowed as he watched the two of them leave, and he watched Rapunzel curl in on herself by the fire. Pascal was barely visible on her shoulder, a small comforting presence, but there was something tense about her-- something like _fear._

Concern gave him the last push he needed to step forward, inching into the orange bubble of firelight. Rapunzel’s head snapped up as he approached, her eyes wide and shoulders drawn in until she realized who it was. She relaxed, but Varian felt as if it was just a show for his sake-- like she was bottling something up. “Oh, hi, Varian. Ruddiger.”

“Um, hi, Princess.” Varian’s eyes fell to the ground, and he debated for a few moments about whether or not he should bow. He decided against it. “Where did Eugene and Lance go?”

“...To find firewood,” Rapunzel mumbled, gesturing towards the dying pile of embers and weak flames between them. It was a simple sentence, but something about the way she said it-- tense, like recalling an unpleasant memory-- made Varian’s frown deepen.

“Do you… want some company?”

Rapunzel blinked. Then a smile took hold of her lips, and she nodded, freckles bunching up under sparkling green eyes. “Sure! I mean, I have Maximus and Fidella, but the more the merrier.”

Maximus neighed in agreement, while Fidella just bobbed her head. Varian cast them a tentative smile before taking his place beside her on the patch of grass they’d found, crossing his legs and lowering Ruddiger to sit in his lap.

Despite her warm acceptance of him, they soon found themselves in an awkward silence. Varian finally cleared his throat, reaching up to adjust his goggles out of habit. “So how are you doing?”

“Me?” Rapunzel seemed almost surprised; Varian couldn’t help but wonder if she wasn’t used to having someone else care. Knowing the woman they’d saved her from, he didn’t doubt it. “I’m okay. Why?”

“You just seem… on edge.” Something tugged on the hem of Varian’s shirt, and he glanced down. Ruddiger held up the paint bottle just enough for him to see, and he snatched it before Rapunzel caught sight of it.

She puffed out a sigh, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. “I guess it’s just because… well, last time Eugene left to go find firewood, Mother showed up. Er, Gothel. Sorry, I can’t… can’t seem to break that.”

“Don’t apologize,” Varian tilted his head, eyes turning to the fire. “Nothing about what she did to you is your fault. And I’m sorry about that. Does he know?”

Rapunzel’s strained smile finally softened, becoming something more real, before dropping into a tiny frown. “No, I never told Eugene about it. She was… she tried to get me to leave him behind, that one time, and I didn’t… I didn’t have the guts to tell him. I guess I just didn’t trust him enough at the time.”

“...I can understand that.” Ruddiger nudged his leg again, more urgent this time, and Varian cleared his throat. Finally, he turned towards Rapunzel, holding out the paint bottle. “Uh, here. I’ve been meaning to give this to you.”

Rapunzel, caught off-guard from the abrupt change in conversation, blinked at the bottle. It took a moment for her to realize he was giving to her, but when she did, she broke out in a huge grin and lifted it delicately from his fingers. “Oh! Thank you so much!”

She turned it around in her fingers, lifting it to let Pascal see. “Um, what is it?”

Varian laughed when Pascal sniffed the bottle, then drew back, tongue poking out. “It’s paint.”

Rapunzel’s brows knit, smile turning a bit askew in confusion. “...Clear paint?”

“Oh. I forgot to tell you… here, look.” Varian plunged a hand into his jacket, drawing out a tiny vial that had once contained experimental Vexoleum. It had hurt a little to pour it out, but he had more, and he’d needed _something_ to put the red pigment in, and he hadn't felt like... _stealing_ anything else. “Uncork the bottle and I’ll show you.”

Tilting her head, Rapunzel pulled the cork. Even Maximus and Fidella lowered their heads to watch as Varian lifted the vial, tipping it just far enough to let a tiny bit of powder fall into the paint.

At first, nothing happened. The powder lay suspended amidst the paint, a small crimson cloud.

Then it began to spread.

Varian let out a breath of relief when the paint bloomed a bright rose-red. Rapunzel, on the other hand, was watching it with eyes as wide as they would go and lips parted in wonder. Maximus whinnied and Pascal squeaked in appreciation; even Fidella seemed pleased, and Ruddiger was practically glowing with pride for his owner. But Rapunzel remained still, expression unchanging, and Varian felt his gut sink again. “Um, Princess?”

She didn’t answer, drawing the gift close, and Varian frowned. “Sorry if it wasn’t what you thought it was going to be. You’d need more bottles to make it of any use. I mean, I know you can’t paint much with just red, and you don’t have a real paintbru--”

“I _love_ it!” Just like that, Rapunzel’s silence was broken. She lunged toward him, laughter shaking her frame as she wrapped him in a hug. “Oh my gosh, thank you so much, Varian! You’re so thoughtful!”

Ruddiger chittered in displeasure, jumping out of Varian’s lap, but he didn’t notice. All at once, those terrible feelings left him. Maybe stealing the inkwell hadn’t been his best decision, but… well, he could live with that if it meant getting a reaction like this. He hugged her back, a tiny smile tugging at his lips. “I’m glad you like it, Princess.”

Rapunzel backed up, though she kept hold of his hands. “Call me Rapunzel, Varian. Please?”

“Oh-- sorry.” Varian grinned back. “Okay, Rapunzel.”

“Thanks.” She finally broke contact, cradling the paint bottle in her hands. “I’m going to paint something great with this! It’s been a while since I’ve had to work with such an… er, limited palette, so this ought to be a good challenge.”

“What’ll be a good challenge?”

Rapunzel and Varian turned to see Eugene and Lance surface from the forest. Eugene carried a bundle of wood under one arm, while Lance led Fancy, who’d been strapped down with a slightly bigger load. “Oh! Hi, guys!” She shot up, nearly tripping in her excitement to scamper over to Eugene. “Look what Varian got me!”

Eugene leaned back as she shoved the paint bottle in his face, eyebrows raised as he took it in. “He… got you some... what is that?”

“It's paint, silly,” Rapunzel giggled. “Look, c’mon, let’s paint something together! Want to?”

Her face, her mannerisms-- everything about her was slathered in a thick coat of sunshine, but Varian, having been exposed to it moments before, could see the tension slowly draining away. Just having Eugene back here, with her, was doing more for her than his meager gift ever could.

Varian watched as she dragged Eugene closer to the fire and urged him to set the wood aside. They spoke for a few seconds before Eugene nodded, reaching for one of the wood pieces and brushing off a little dirt, revealing a mostly-clean, smooth surface. They both dipped a finger into the paint bottle and went to town on their makeshift canvas, smiles warm and genuine as they basked in the simple joy of being close. Maximus and Fidella joined in behind them, making occasional remarks in the form of neighs.

“Makes you feel kind of jealous, doesn’t it?” Lance sighed beside him, nudging a piece of wood into the fire and turning to untie the rest from Fancy’s saddle. 

Varian started a bit, torn out of his daze, but soon frowned in response. “Jealous?”

“You know,” Lance gestured toward them with a hand. He looked back at the couple, watching as Rapunzel dabbed a bit of red paint onto Eugene’s nose and backed away laughing. “Of how happy they are together.”

“...I-I wouldn’t say I’m jealous.” Subconsciously, he ran his fingers through Ruddiger’s fur-- who’d crawled back into his lap by now-- and listened to him purr. “Rapunzel’s been through so much, you know? If anything, I… I wish I could do something to make her happier.”

Lance cocked a brow. “Didn’t you give her that paint? She seems pretty happy about it to me.”

Varian chuckled, a single soft sound that fell a bit empty. “She’s happy about Eugene. That paint really isn’t the best present I could’ve come up with.”

Concerned, Lance lowered himself to sit beside the boy. His lips curved into a frown. “What do you mean? You must’ve spent a lot on that thing.”

Varian froze, nervous giggle slipping through. Ruddiger gave him an annoyed chatter when his fingers dug in a little to hard. “Uh, yeah, I did. But, um. It-- it’s just one color, in the end. She can’t do much with it.”

Lance fell silent, features flickering between helpless and conflicted. After a second, though, his eyes lit up, and he rose to his feet. “Wait here a second, little buddy.”

Varian raised a brow, watching as Lance dug around in Fancy’s saddlebags for a minute. He drew out a little paper package and turned back towards the fire, Fancy following close behind-- whatever Lance had must’ve smelled good to her.

He plopped back down beside Varian, his teeth glinting in a grin, and unwrapped the package. Inside lay a tightly-packed bunch of small, white cylinders that looked soft to the touch. “The guy at the candy store said these were a newly-discovered type of sweet, or something like that. Figured I’d get us some.”

Varian blew out a laugh. Leave it to Lance to cheer someone up with food. Still, he reached for the mound of white, plucking one of the cylinders off. It was pillowy under his fingers, and he almost considered taking his gloves off to feel the texture on his skin. Tentatively, he popped it in his mouth.

He immediately brightened. When he spoke, mouth still full, the words mashed together into a near-unintelligible mess. “Ish lige squooshy shugar!”

Lance’s smile grew, and he grabbed one for himself before handing another to Ruddiger. “Right? I don’t know how they make ‘em.”

Varian’s mind, though, was already whirring. How would someone go about this? It felt and tasted like there was some kind of starch on the outside, further evidenced by the powder on is gloves, so that would indicate the candy was sticky on its own. Which wasn’t an unexpected aspect of sugar, of course, but there was no graininess to the texture. A gelatin-sugar colloid, maybe? With a few extra ingredients, of course, but…

“Hey, Lance? Can I have another one? For, um, experimental purposes.”

Lance snickered, eyes sparkling. “‘Course you can, kid.”

Excitement bubbled up in his chest as Varian reached for another candy. Turning it over in his fingers, he battled with the urge to eat it for a second before leaning forward and tossing it into the fire.

“Woah!” Lance stopped, another candy halfway to his mouth. “I didn’t think you actually meant…”

“Fascinating,” Varian leaned forward as far as he could with Ruddiger in his lap, ignoring his surprised chitter. The candy had blown up to twice the size it had been when he’d thrown it in, edges bubbling and browning. “It’s mostly sugar, and yet there’s no grain to it… so gelatin is likely, then…”

Lance raised a brow, candy finally reaching his mouth. “Is this how you enjoy all your sweets?”

“Oh, um, no. Not usually.” Varian tore his eyes from the candy as it finally devolved to a puddle of goop, outside turning a charcoal black. “Can I have one more? I’ll eat it this time, promise.”

Lance squinted dubiously at him for a moment before relenting, holding the package out once more. “Yeah, sure. But we have to save some for the other guys, alright?”

“Thanks!” Varian snatched another one. Then he gently pushed Ruddiger from his lap and stood, running over to where the others had been roasting dinner earlier. Lance watched him, package held loosely between two hands, as he shoved the stick through his piece of candy. Shaking it a few times to make sure it was stable, he returned to his seat, grinning the whole time.

“Uh… whatcha doing, little buddy?”

“You’ll see.” Varian reached out, stick held just far enough above the fire to not catch any flames. It was too high to get a quick reaction, but he held out hope; after all, it took a while to cook anything over a campfire. Meanwhile, he turned to Lance. “So what are these things called?”

“Huh?” Lance blinked, eyes tearing away from the suspended candy. “Um… you know, I forgot. It started with an ‘m’, pretty sure.” He rubbed his chin for a second, then raised his head to shout in Eugene and Rapunzel’s direction. “Hey! Eugene! What did the candy guy call these things?”

“What?” Eugene glanced over, nose still painted a vibrant red. “Oh. Marshmallows.”

“You have candy!?” Rapunzel gasped, bouncing to her feet. “Can we have some?”

“Sure, princess. Just, uh, wash your hands first.”

Varian tuned out of the conversation, all his attention turning to his experiment. The marshmallow was turning a brownish-yellowish off-white now, and he could see the outside firming up, like it was forming a skin. Keeping with his hypothesis so far.

Eugene and Rapunzel found their way to the fire after a few moments, both of them taking a few marshmallows of their own, and Rapunzel leaned forward to get a better look at Varian’s. “Ooh, what are you doing to that one?”

“Testing out the effect of heat on the marshmallow. If I’m correct and it is indeed a sugar-gelatin colloid, it should become tougher on the outside while melting into a wet, sticky consistency on the inside. I dropped one into the fire earlier, and it seemed to exhibit those traits, but the reaction was too fast for me to monitor--”

Eugene yawned. “Why don’t you just eat it?”

Varian turned to glare at him, though it was light and playful. “Alchemist’s curse, I guess. I can’t help it.”

“I think it’s creative,” Rapunzel smiled as she fed Pascal a tiny piece of marshmallow. He tilted his head from side to side before squeaking, running down her arm to snatch the rest of it, even though it was too big for him to eat. Seeing that, she grabbed a handful of them, turning to the horses and letting them pluck one up each. “I know I wouldn’t have thought to do that.”

“Only Varian,” Lance chuckled, reaching for another marshmallow. He frowned down at the package. “Huh… we only have a few left. Where’s Cassandra?”

Eugene frowned. “I… actually don’t know. She tell you, Blondie?”

Rapunzel fell quiet. She sighed, running a few fingers through her hair as she chewed on half a marshmallow. “She went to go fix her bandages. Cass, um, hurt her hand pretty bad back in Equis.”

Varian’s chest grew tight, and he nearly dropped the stick he was holding. Lance shifted, soft eyes landing on him, and Varian clenched his teeth in shame.

“She’s been gone for a while to just be fixing her bandages,” Eugene’s frown deepened, concern lacing his voice. “You don’t think…?”

“Maybe we should go look for her?” Rapunzel asked, quiet and tentative. “I mean, she said not to bother her, but…”

“I’m right here.”

The entire group turned their heads to the right. Cassandra stood by the treeline of their little clearing, face a stoic mask. On her shoulder perched a brown owl, who stared at them with huge, unblinking yellow eyes that made Varian even more uneasy than he already was. He’d seen the bird before, of course, but something about the way he looked straight at Varian was unsettling now. It didn’t help that they hadn’t seen him in so long.

“Owl says my dad’s team is on our trail. We need to move.” Cassandra looked right over Varian. “Pack up. We don’t have much time.”

Normally, there would be some kind of discussion before they decided to get going. They would’ve talked it over, contemplated which way to go. But here, listening to Cassandra talk in such an authoritative tone… no one denied her.

Varian, cringing when Cassandra’s gaze finally landed on him, pulled the marshmallow back out from over the fire. The smell was amazing, and the sides had cracked just enough to reveal a glistening interior, but suddenly he didn’t want it. Instead, he lowered the stick down to Ruddiger and scurried to help the others pack up anything they’d strewn about.

When they got going, shrouded in the darkness of late night and the silence of a sleeping forest, no one dared to speak.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cass still ain't over it
> 
> (P.S. Are you hyped for Cassandra's Revenge this coming Sunday!!??!? Group numbers! Eugene's birthday! Proposals! Kidnapping! Maybe some lore! Ahhhh I'm so ready ^.^)


	8. Fortune and Fault

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eugene and Rapunzel, needing some time to themselves, check out a self-proclaimed psychic they find hidden away in the woods. However, Rapunzel heeds her fortune with a little too much vigor.
> 
> ____

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Nothing Left to Lose was a bop huh
> 
> (psst if you want to read a post-midseason oneshot, I have one here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22424434 )
> 
> Hope you enjoy this chapter! <3 After this one the ball will really start rolling :) (Also can you believe this series is up to 100k words?)
> 
> ____

“Blondie, I am telling you, whatever you find in there is going to be a scam.”

“Oh, but Eugene, aren’t you the least bit curious? I mean, just look at the sign!”

“Yeah, yeah. _Vigor the Visionary: Seer and Knower of All._ Definitely does not sound like some vague slogan for a scammer.”

“ _C’mon_ ,” Rapunzel clasped her hands together. “We have time to spare! Cassandra’s sharpening everyone’s weapons, and Varian and Lance are inspecting the horses’ shoes… besides, when are we going to get an opportunity like this again?”

“You’d be surprised how common these things are. And, Blondie, they agreed to take a rest so that we could have some breathing room for ourselves, remember? Do you really want to spend it in some stuffy scammer’s wagon?” 

“ _Eugene_.”

He raised a brow down at her before his frown softened. She looked so earnest, so hopeful, leaning toward him with hands clutched to her chest and biting her bottom lip...

He blew out a breath. “Fine. We’ll get our fortune told.”

“Yay!” Rapunzel hopped in place, the seized Eugene’s arm and pulled him after her towards the little wagon’s entrance. He gave a little shout-- not nearly as loud this time, though; he must be getting used to it-- and focused on trying not to stumble on his way in.

The interior of the wagon was dark and, frankly, made him a little claustrophobic. Eugene grimaced as he brushed aside strings of hanging beads, eyes scanning the wagon. Round covered table, a statue of a monkey wearing a turban, enough hanging baubles to fill a castle stronghold… but no sign of a fortune-teller. Maybe they were out?

Fingers, long and knobby, curled around his shoulder. “Welcome!”

“ _Holy_ \--” A violent jump went through Eugene as he spun around, hand floating down to where he normally kept his dagger stowed away before remembering that Cassandra had it. 

The woman was short and a bit portly, old but not grey. Thick black hair flowed down to her waist, the top of her head wrapped in a red bandana, and one beady eye peered up at him from behind a giant nose crowned with a wart. The other eye was closed for some reason, though still caked with turquoise eyeshadow. Even after she withdrew her fingers, she still gave Eugene a crawling shiver and the feeling that whatever they’d gotten themselves into, it was a little more shady than the typical roadside scam.

Rapunzel, of course, only waved and offered the woman a sunny smile. “Hi there! I’m Rapunzel, and this is my boyfriend Eugene. We’re here to get our fortunes told!”

“Well, then you’ve come to the right place, travelers.” She bowed low, wrinkly face pulling up in a grin. Her voice was rough and grating, but he could hear the music of her accent behind it. “My name is Madame Canardist, and inside this wagon is the world-famous clairvoyant… Vigor the Visionary!”

“Of course he’s world-famous,” Eugene mumbled, to which Rapunzel elbowed him.

His comment didn’t faze Canardist in the slightest; she continued on, hands waving in grand gestures. “He has predicted the fates of emperors, the future of pharaohs, the destinies of dynasties even… _and,”_ her voice grew soft, and she drew closer to them, finger raising in Eugene’s face. He wrinkled his nose. “He is offering a once-in-a-lifetime special: one fortune for a mere five silver pieces!”

“Eugene! Did you hear that?” Rapunzel grinned, eyes sparkling as she looked up at him. Good _lord,_ he could almost feel her _vibrating._ “Emperors and pharaohs!? Oh-ho! Okay, well, uh, add ‘princess’ to that list!”

“Very good.” Canardist backed up to the round table, bidding them to follow. As soon as Rapunzel and Eugene had sat down opposite her and a large crystal ball-- and the monkey statue, which Eugene was becoming increasingly curious about-- she held out a velvet pouch. “Silver! His omniscience requires silver.”

“Of course it does,” Eugene rolled his eyes, reaching into his pocket to pull out a gold coin. “Will this work? We’re kind of low on silver.”

Canardist squinted down at the coin. “Well, normally the psychic energy feeds upon silver, but--” she snatched it from Eugene’s hand before he could pull it back. “This will do nicely, this time. Because I like you.”

“Yes, I’m sure that’s why. Not because that coin’s about five times what you asked for.” Eugene sighed, crossing his arms. “So where’s this Vigor, anyway?”

“Prepare to be astonished,” Canardist began again with her theater voice and over-the-top gestures, to which Eugene frowned deeper. But then he cast a glance over to Rapunzel, and all of that melted. She was completely enraptured by the experience, light in her eyes and excitement written across her face… ah, well. Maybe this would be worth it. “He is telekinetic! He is telepathic! And he’ll tell-a-you the future! He’s-a… the world’s most prophetic prognosticator, Vigor the Visionary!”

The monkey statue’s eyes opened.

There was no other way to say it. Eugene screamed. It was a good, deep scream, the kind that comes from way down deep in your chest and feels like everyone in the world can hear it. A true, manly scream.

“Aww!” Rapunzel cooed, clasping her hands together. “It’s a monkey!”

“ _It’s a monkey_ ,” Eugene wheezed out, hand to his chest. “A monkey. The fortune-teller is a monkey. Of course he is! Why not. Why _not_.”

“And he’s _adorable_!”

"Vigor," Canardist rasped, leaning down toward the monkey. He didn't respond to her voice, just staring blankly ahead as if in a daze of some kind. Eugene found himself worried for the monkey's health-- had he been hit in the head or something? His eyes didn't even focus correctly. "These people have come in search of your infinite guidance. If you are willing, blink twice."

Vigor finally gave a half-hearted grunt, balancing on his knuckles and hopping up to face them. Eugene watched as he blinked once, then twice, before turning tail and hopping atop the crystal ball.

Rapunzel gasped. "Did you see that?"

" _Please!_ " Canardist interrupted her. "Vigor requires total silence as he contacts the regions beyond…!"

She lowered her head, arms hanging at her sides, almost as if in reverence. Vigor, in turn, placed his little monkey hands on the crystal ball. Immediately the wagon turned a sickly shade of green, and under his elbows, the table rocked in time with Vigor's crazed hoots and grunts.

Eugene watched all of it with a squint and a raised brow, picking at his eyepatch. Beside him, Rapunzel continued to gasp and smile at the tiniest of things; she watched every detail closely, wonder evident in her gleaming eyes. When the doors of the wagon began opening and closing-- well, that sealed the deal for Eugene. It was a scam, and he'd just wasted one of Lance's hard-stolen gold coins.

The green lights went out as abruptly as they had come on. Vigor sucked in a breath before babbling out some string of monkey-gibberish, while both Canardist and Rapunzel paid rapt attention.

"Ah-hah… ah-hah." Canardist grabbed a pen and a scrap of greenish paper, scribbling down words at a pace that impressed even Eugene. Raising it in the air, she declared, "Vigor the Visionary has spoken!"

_Oh, brother._

Rapunzel took the paper with an excited little wiggle, holding it open with both hands. "...If you see someone fall, pick them up."

That was the last straw. Eugene leaned over the table, nose wrinkling and brows lowering in annoyed distaste. "Are you serious, monkey?" He stood, watching Vigor begin to gnaw on the crystal ball. Canardist, looking pleased, watched them with her one half-lidded eye. "That is the most generic fortune I've ever heard! I mean, technically, it's not even a…"

He trailed off when he noticed that Rapunzel hadn't moved from her seat. She stared hard at the paper, fingertips growing white from pressure; her back was straight, her posture stiff. "...Blondie? Are you okay?"

"If you see someone fall, pick them up," Rapunzel repeated, quiet and soft. Contemplative, but with a melancholy edge. "...I need to do something."

"What do you mean?" Eugene leaned down toward her, hand resting on her shoulder. Any trace of annoyance was gone, replaced by concern. "What's wrong, Sunshine?"

Rapunzel finally lifted her head, face set in a stony look of determination. "Thank you, Madame Canardist. Vigor, I'll put your fortune to good use."

"That would be advised, my friend," Canardist gestured toward the door. "Good day and good fortune. May luck smile upon you this day."

"Um, you too." Rapunzel took Eugene's hand, pulling him towards the exit. "Thank you again!"

"Rapunzel," Eugene tried again once they stepped back outside into the lush forest. "C'mon, tell me. What's going on?"

Rapunzel finally met his eyes. Her gaze was hard, full of conviction, and he found himself wondering exactly what had crossed her mind to make her act like this.

Her response, vague as it was, answered all his questions. "I'm going to go pick someone back up."

  
  


______

  
  


Cassandra kept her jaw tight as he scraped the whetstone along her sword. It was calming, the slow grind of metal on stone; she could feel the blade taking shape once more under her touch, ready to fight the moment she needed it. For so many years, a sword had been her best friend, the one thing she could fall back on no matter what.

A hot breath puffed over her shoulder, and Cassandra found herself grinning. Well, that and Fidella.

She patted the horse's soft muzzle. "Hey, girl. Hiding from Maximus?"

Fidella huffed in the affirmative, tossing her mane in a rather saucy way, and Cassandra snorted. "Well, you're safe over here. He can bother Stelle or Fancy if he wants to be full of himself."

She turned back to the front, eyes straying to Lance's sword and Eugene's dagger. They sat innocently beside one another, lethal edges glinting in what evening sun managed to slip through the thick branches overhead. Just beyond them…

Well, just beyond them lay the crossbow.

It hadn’t been touched since Varian repaired it. Why he saw the need to keep it around, she couldn’t fathom; all it did to her was bring back awful memories, and she couldn’t imagine it helping him, either. For all she cared, the stupid thing could’ve been left to rot in the Great Tree. But, no-- he’d felt the need to preserve the second worst reminder of their incident.

_‘Oh-- Oh Cassie-- oh, I’m so, so sorry--’_

_Pain. So much pain. Burning, lancing, consuming, raging--_

_Why didn’t he say anything!?_

_How could he be so careless!?_

Fidella, eyes full of soft concern, lowered her head to nuzzle against Cassandra’s jaw. She chuckled, and for a moment, thoughts of the crossbow fell away. Her hand still tingled with every movement, her gut still churned with an old anger that didn’t have anywhere to go-- but for now, she’d push it back down.

“Hey, guys!”

The familiar voice drew Cassandra out of her thoughts, and she focused back on reality. Rapunzel and Eugene, hand-in-hand like the sickeningly sweet couple they were turning out to be, strode out of the forest-- Rapunzel with a bright, too-big smile, Eugene with a face full of apprehension. It immediately put her on guard.

“Princess!” Lance boomed, the word a half-laugh. He rose from the fire to make his way over to the two, while Varian and the horses followed suit, though in a more demure fashion. Pascal zipped between them all, scurrying up Rapunzel’s dress to perch on her shoulder. “We were just talking about you! Which is better-- cookies or cupcakes?”

“Um,” Rapunzel stuck out her bottom lip, casting Pascal a questioning look. “Well, I mean, they both have their good qualities--”

Eugene cleared his throat, and she stopped abruptly, sucking on her teeth as she mentally rearranged her words. “Both are great in their own way! Very different treats, you know. And I’m sure they’re pitted together often! But different treats can always find common ground, and from that common ground, they can form a friendship that…”

At everyone’s blank look, Rapunzel sighed, shoulders sagging forward. When she spoke again, it was low and soft, her voice more plea than anything. “What I’m trying to say is… I know that things are tough between, um, some of us. And I just want to help fix it, however I can!”

Cassandra’s stomach twisted. She caught Varian’s panicked glance out of the corner of her eye, but she refrained from looking at him, even when Stelle’s judging eyes landed on her. “What do you mean, Rapunzel?”

“I think you know what I mean.” Rapunzel clasped her hands to her chest, and for the first time, Cassandra noticed a scrap of green paper peeking out from behind her fingers. “I don’t remember much of what happened, but I know that whatever went on back at… at that place, it pushed you and Varian apart. And I just want to help!”

Lance, wide-eyed, backed away with a mumble-- something about tending the fire. Fancy and Maximus backed away as well, but Stelle and Fidella stayed, standing like sentries behind Varian and Cassandra.

Cassandra cleared her throat. A mess of emotions went through her, gathering in one confused knot in her stomach; she really didn’t want to visit this again, but the pure hope in Rapunzel’s eyes had her heart melting. Still, though, she finally sighed. “With all due respect, Rapunzel, what happened between Varian and me was not your fault.”

“Maybe not. But still!” She puffed out a breath. “I just-- I wish you would get along.”

Her jaw tightened at that. She sensed Varian cringing and Fidella’s warning huff in her ear, but she ignored it for the sudden crash of indignance. “Really? You think I can just _get along_ with someone who destroyed my hand?”

Rapunzel fell quiet, and Eugene put a hand on her shoulder. “Cass, you really have to let this grudge go. Can’t you see what’s going on? You’ve made everyone’s spirits drop, and you’ve been pushing us nonstop for two days. At some point, you have to forgive and forget.”

“Forgive and forget?” Cassandra asked, the slightest hint of a laugh seeping into the end of the last word. Did… did he really expect it to be that easy? “What, you want me to just _forget_ that my hand is shot? That all the skill I’ve built up over my entire life is worthless? That whatever chance I had at being a Royal Guard was compromised the moment he decided to mess with the stupid bow?”

Varian finally spoke, his voice cracking. “Cassie, I’m sorry--”

She whirled on him. Normally, she wouldn’t be this bitter, this hateful. Deep down, she knew she’d be able to recover and relearn everything with her left hand. But all of this had been bottled up so long that the minute one word leaked out, a million more were spilling out with it; a hot, boiling rage she’d kept locked away was finally able to rise. And it felt _good_ , even when he cringed away, half hiding in Stelle’s side and hugging Ruddiger close to his chest.

“ _And you_ !” she thrust a finger at him, teeth bared and brows nearly meeting. “Is that all you know how to say? ‘Sorry’? Out of all that vocabulary you have in there, all those fancy terms you like to blab on and on about as if we care! All of those words, and the only one you seem to know how to actually use is _sorry!_ ”

Eugene stepped forward, one arm going instinctively in front of a cringing Rapunzel. The rest of him leaned toward Varian, as if preparing to run over to shield him too. “Cass! Stop! You’re not thinking right--”

“You think _sorry_ can fix this?” She cut him off. She didn’t even spare him a glance, actually. Cassandra merely took one step closer to Varian. He looked at her with wide eyes full of fear, arms crossed in front of himself and brows upturned. “I _knew_ it was a bad idea to bring you along! You’re a _child_ , for Pete’s sake, and not a responsible one at that! We should’ve just left you back home with your dad!”

Tears were running down Varian’s cheeks now, and Stelle finally couldn’t stand it any longer. She snorted, tossing her mane, and circled around to stand in front of him. On either side, Eugene and Lance were shouting things-- things that she couldn’t hear, or maybe just didn’t want to hear. Not yet.

At last, there lay her feelings, bare and out for everyone to see. At last, the pressure in her chest had lessened. Her breaths came heavy and blood rushed in her ears, and the shouts were becoming more and more clear-- _Cassandra, don’t say that, you know he didn’t mean it, please don’t be like this--_ but right now, she finally felt satisfied.

So, when reality came crashing down and her words played back in her mind, they hit her all the harder.

Cassandra, realizing Eugene’s hand had wrapped around her arm at some point, jerked away from him. Fidella remained quiet as she turned and mounted, swallowing the new wave of emotion pushing on the back of her throat. “I need some air. I’ll be back before midnight.”

Everyone was quiet as they watched her leave, save for Varian’s muffled crying.

As she tore into the forest, anger softened and new guilt blossoming, she felt tears of her own rise.

  
  


______

  
  


Andrew hummed to himself as he strode down the garden path. His cloak, a nondescript brown garment, fluttered behind him on a light breeze; winter was approaching Corona with its usual slow crawl.

The night sky was crisp tonight, clear and cloudless; the moon shone with such brightness that it almost seemed to carry a bluish tone. He could hear an owl in the distance, just over the trickle of the garden fountain and the low tapping of someone else’s footsteps.

He pretended not to notice. In fact, if he hadn’t known about his pursuer, he wouldn’t have ever noticed him following. As it was, however, Andrew wondered if the stranger was confused yet; they were far from their usual path, at the opposite end of the gardens from the gazebo. Perhaps he would be bolder tonight--

The footsteps quickened, and there was a low, metallic _shing._ Andrew’s lips curved into a smile. How he loved being right.

There was barely a second for him to sidestep the swing, pulling out his sword in the process. At last, he got a good look at the stranger, albeit for only a moment as he recovered. Large, but other than that, a rather ordinary-looking fellow; he seemed like any other working Coronan, perhaps a farmer or a blacksmith. But the cold calculation in his narrow brown eyes-- that was something Andrew only ever saw in trained men.

Interesting.

The next swing he blocked, flashing his opponent a grin. “Finally showing yourself, huh?”

The man didn’t respond. Instead, he pulled the sword back, retreating a few steps to reassess the situation. The sudden lack of stealth had probably thrown him off a bit.

“You know, I’m a little curious. How did you figure out about our meetings?”

Silence.

Andrew smirked. “Let me guess: strong and si--”

The world flew out from under his feet.

Andrew hadn’t even seem the blow coming. It was fast and flawless, a perfect sweep, followed by heartless slashes that he just barely managed to block and roll away from. For the first time in a long while, real fear seeped into Andrew’s veins. He’d thought the man would be skilled, but this--?

Pain lanced through his arm, and Andrew rolled away, blood spilling over the path behind him. He grit his teeth, clutching the wound-- shallow, thankfully-- and scrambled to his feet, only to be knocked down again.

The man, towering over him and sword held at the ready, finally spoke. It was monotonous, hard as stone, and frankly, it made Andrew’s blood run cold. “What are you doing in the royal gardens every night?”

Andrew, panic rising in his throat, almost raised his hands in surrender-- until he saw something move just past the man’s imposing figure. Suppressing a grin, he forced a cough, clutching his arm in exaggerated pain. “Look, I’ll tell you everything. Just-- just don’t kill me.”

“I will if you don’t speak.” His eyes widened a fraction. “What do you plan to do here on royal grounds?”

Andrew’s eyes flickered from his face to his sword, then to the approaching shape. “Well, you see,” he drawled, finally allowing a tiny bit of a smile. “Before I tell you that, you need to be initiated.”

Shadows flew from the bushes.

Lady Caine’s pirates swarmed the man, yanking away his sword and tugging ropes around his wrists and ankles. The man fought, even managed to throw two or three of them off, but ultimately it was too much too fast. He fell to his knees, struggling against his bonds all the way, a fury in his eyes that Andrew didn’t quite know how to describe.

Andrew sighed, rising back to his feet and straightening his vest. Great, there was blood on it now… he’d have to plan a return trip for a new one at some point. Dismissing it for now, he cleared his throat, hand pressed over the cut on his arm. “Clementine?”

“RIght here,” A raspy voice called, and Clementine’s tiny form waddled past the crowd of pirates. In her hand lay a slender wand, embedded with a glistening ruby the same color as the blood dotting the ground under her feet. “Is this the guy?”

“It is.”

“Oooh, I’ve been waiting for this.” She wriggled with excitement, beady eyes wide as they focused in on the man. He seemed panicked now, but there was nothing he could do as Clementine lowered the wand.

With a puff of pink, he became still, and Clementine’s delighted cackles filled the night sky. There would be guards flocking to investigate soon; they needed to run, but for now… well. Clementine could enjoy this victory.

If all went well, it would be the first of many.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm mean


	9. Buried Hatchets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The animals discuss everything that's happened recently. Meanwhile, Frederic is paid a very strange visit, and Vex realizes she should heed Adira's warnings a bit better.
> 
> It seems like nothing was ever truly left in the past.
> 
> ______

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really sorry this took so long to get out. Stuff came up... well, you know how it is. Life gets in the way sometimes.
> 
> Regardless, here's the new chapter! :D
> 
> _______

Ruddiger frowned as he bit into his third apple of the day. ‘ _Our boy seems sad_.’

‘ _You think?_ ’ Stelle tossed her mane as she glanced back at him. Varian didn’t notice from atop her, too focused on glaring at the crossbow in his lap. ‘ _He hasn’t spoken in two days. The sword woman has made him very upset_.’

‘ _The sword woman makes everyone upset, it seems_ ,’ Ruddiger started to lick some of the juice off his paws, but a flurry of feathers beside him made the raccoon jump, burrowing back into the saddlebag for a moment.

‘ _My mistress’s ways are rough, I’ll admit_ ,’ a familiar voice lured Ruddiger back out, though he sniffed the air for a second before emerging completely. “ _But she is adherent to her duty. The boy has hindered her from reaching her goals. She has been sympathetic to his guilt thus far_.’

‘ _Sympathetic?_ ’ Stelle nickered back at him, eyes blowing wide. ‘ _She told the foal she did not need him_!’

The owl clicked his beak. ‘ _Though tough, Mistress is a compassionate soul at heart_.’

‘ _Ah. And remind me what she calls you, Percival?_ ’ Ruddiger lounged back, nibbling at the core of his apple for any edible bits left.

Percival ruffled his feathers. ‘ _Owl is a suitable name. It is accurate and to the point._ ’

‘ _Perhaps for you,_ ’ Fancy chimed in from behind them. Lance patted her neck, saying something-- he probably thought her to be agitated. Ruddiger could see why; the way she tossed her mane was anything but agreeable. ‘ _But the sword woman shows that she does not care as the other humans do. She calls you by what you are, as if it were a rank_.’

‘ _And you call her ‘sword woman’. Is it not the same?_ ’ Percival flapped his wings, head twisting back to stare at Fancy. Ruddiger shuddered; owls had always made him uneasy for that very reason. _‘Perhaps you would do well to understand where she comes from, and how she sees things. Fidella and Maximus certainly do; they are palace horses, and know their place_.’

‘ _Perhaps you would do well to know your place_ ,’ Stelle jerked her head, making Varian gasp in surprise. _‘I’ll give you a hint: it isn’t on the end of my saddle_.’

Percival’s head swiveled around, huge yellow eyes zeroing in on her. For a moment, Ruddiger wondered if he would attack-- but no. He merely blinked once before spreading his wings and taking off, hooting as he disappeared into the branches above.

Fancy shook her head. ‘ _He always has such an… irritating manner about him_.’

‘ _I think it’s an owl thing_ .’ Ruddiger tossed aside his apple core. Finally full, he sank into the saddlebags a little further, paws folding over his belly. _‘He is a good match for the sword woman, though_.’

 _‘You could say that again.’_ Stelle finally turned to face where she was going, though Ruddiger could tell by the way her tail flicked that she was still annoyed. _‘I do wish the foal would speak. I want to forgive the sword woman, but it is hard when he is in such a state.’_

No one answered her. Ruddiger tilted his head, frowning, and glanced up at Varian. His head hung low, hair falling into his face; his shoulders slumped, and his eyes were listless as he ran a thumb over the crossbow’s wood. Ruddiger had known him to space out at times, often for long periods, when he was thinking… but Varian hadn’t said anything in the past few days, other than the occasional mumbled response.

Making a decision, Ruddiger delved into the depths of the saddlebag. He knew he’d stashed it somewhere in here…

Ah!

He chittered, scampering out of the bag and over into Varian’s lap. He pushed aside the crossbow with his tail, using his face to snuggle under one of his boy’s arms.

“Ruddiger?” Varian’s voice was a little hoarse, and quiet.

Ruddiger smiled up at him, settling into a comfortable seat at the front of Stelle’s saddle, and held up his offering. The last marshmallow: a prize Ruddiger had snuck away, intending to eat it himself.

Varian smiled at first, but he only made it halfway before it fell from his lips. “Thanks, buddy. But I think that was meant for Cassie, wasn’t it? I… I wouldn’t want to…”

He sighed heavily, looking ahead. Maximus and Fidella trotted some ways ahead of them, Rapunzel, Eugene, and Cassandra all chatting just out of hearing range. The light in his eyes dulled. “Wouldn’t want to take it from her.”

Ruddiger pulled it back, tilting his head. He wanted to argue that she wouldn’t miss it-- after all, she hadn’t yet-- but even if Varian could understand, he doubted he’d listen.

So, Ruddiger threw the marshmallow aside. The ants could have it. He snuggled into Varian, and after a moment, he felt fingers delve into his fur. There wasn’t much he could do to comfort Varian but purr, and hope he got the message.

So that’s what he did.

  
  


_________

  
  


Frederic wasn’t expecting any visitors, so hearing the knock on his private parlor door was a bit concerning. However, he trusted his guards, and after all-- it might’ve been one of the servants coming to collect him for some meeting. Heaven knew he hadn’t been remembering things correctly nowadays; Arianna kept having to remind him when a minister was coming over, or when he needed to prepare for villagers coming in to make requests. Some days he barely remembered to comb his beard.

“Enter,” he permitted, rather tiredly.

The face that greeted him was familiar: wrinkled, as all leaders seemed to be, but not yet old. Dark hair that looked suspiciously to be receding. Stoic features, unreadable but not unsettling. Quirin was always the picture of a perfect leader; in fact, Frederic wondered sometimes if he should better follow in the man’s footsteps. His emotions, as best as he tried to control and mask them, always seemed to get the better of him.

“Quirin of Old Corona,” he nodded. “I was under the impression you left the capital.”

There was something off about the way Quirin hesitated before answering-- something that nagged at the back of Frederic’s mind but, ultimately, he disregarded. Quirin was as mysterious as his past on the best of days, and he was missing his son. “I returned.”

Frederic lifted a brow. “Is everything all right? Why have you come back?”

“To make an--” Quirin coughed into his fist. It wasn’t a deep cough, not like a sick person’s-- it was an awkward one. The cough of someone trying to stall. “To make a request.”

Frederic waited a moment before nodding. “Yes? Continue.”

“The rocks.” Quirin frowned, the thin line of his mouth hard. “You have not yet taken care of them.”

Frederic balked. “But I thought you said--”

“They are everywhere!” Quirin cut him off. “You tampered with things far beyond your control. Now your people are suffering, and my-- my family…”

“Quirin,” he tried again. “We’ve spoken about this. I’ve made my apologies--”

“Apologies will not fix what is broken.” Quirin’s eyes turned cold, his words harsh. “You _will_ rectify your mistakes. I will warn you only once: the Moon will not rest until Corona is destroyed from the roots up. I can promise you that.”

Frederic was silent as Quirin swept out of the room, door slamming behind him.

He blinked once. Twice. Three times. What had that been? It was completely unlike his old friend to make such demands, and Quirin would never show such disrespect…

...Except he had, once before. Eighteen years ago, to be exact, when he had first announced the search for the Sundrop Flower.

But what would make his old friend’s attitude revert in such a way? He could possibly chalk it up to Quirin’s missing Varian, but that wouldn’t explain why it was all so suddenly hitting him. Quirin was cool-headed, and over the years, they had come to a sort of understanding, with both of them looking past their arguments and toward what they could do to fix the issue at hand.

Frederic ran a few fingers through his beard, turning on his heel. His shoes made quiet clacks on the marble floor as he exited the parlor, making his way towards the throne room, where he knew Nigel would be busy setting up for tomorrow’s audience.

HIs advisor would know what to think about this-- and, hopefully, what to do.

  
  


_______

  
  


Vex hummed to herself, adding a slightly higher note with every stroke of the whetstone. It was one of the few ways she kept herself mildly entertained while sharpening her weapons; being a sword dealer herself, she’d never really had to bother with long-term blade management, and frankly, it was getting tiring.

Adira had gone off to hunt, as she did. Vex knew about where she was, and if worst came to worst, she’d be able to track her down. Adira had been loath to leave her alone, but as it was, Vex couldn’t be trusted to hunt; she knew how to steal from a food cart, not how to scavenge it for herself. As Adira would put it, she’d ‘scare off everything in a thousand-meter radius with a tantrum the first time she missed’.

Ah, Adira _was_ a joy.

Vex found herself smiling a little as she set her second shotel aside, leaning back to stretch her back out a little. Maybe Adira had been a little irksome at first, with all her mysticism and intentional cryptic manner, but they really had grown close. In fact, if Vex were honest with herself, Adira was the closest thing she’d had to a friend in a long while-- not to mention an adult mentor figure. The most recent memory she had of a caring adult was fuzzy and barely present.

In fact-- she wouldn’t call Adira a mom yet, but she imagined their relationship to be similar to that, at least in some ways. For all Adira’s front of carefree and a little uncaring, she could tell that the affection was there, and couldn’t deny that she held a measure of it too. She imagined it would remain that way for some time; neither of them particularly cared to talk about anything serious or heavy, and really, she preferred it that way. Never before had she met an adult who would treat her fairly, or would trust her alone in the woods, regardless of how long it took to persuade Adira that she could handle it. It was like she saw Vex as a person, and she deeply appreciated that more than any amount of coin.

She’d just begun to stand when footsteps, fast and hard, caught her ears.

There was just enough time to grab her swords. She met the arm-blade with her own shotels, gritting her teeth as a shock went through her arms and all the way down her spine. She silently thanked Adira for all the drills they’d done in quick reactions; if it hadn’t been for her meticulous training, she’d be dead where she stood.

Hector chuckled under his breath, grinning down at Vex. “My sister’s really been outdoing herself on her little pet project, hm?”

“I’m a squire,” Vex forced out, already shaking under the stress of holding him back.

“You’re a child.” He jumped back, nimble as a cat, and watched as she caught her breath with electric eyes. “A poor, pitiful urchin who Adira saw fit to pick up. She’s stuck in the past, you know. The Dark Kingdom is no more, and it never will be. All we can do is contain the damage.”

“You saw the Sundrop. Why don’t you believe what Adira’s saying?” Vex raised her shotels. “You’re the one set in your ways! She looks forward, searches for a solution!”

“And she also gives our crest out to _dirty street rats_!” Hector sprinted forward.

It was all Vex could do to block his attacks. They were merciless, raining down on her like a hailstorm, and Hector moved so fast that he was a mere blur when she managed a look at him. He was cackling now, but it was a deranged and angry kind of laugh-- one that struck ice into Vex’s very core. Her side still ached from where one of his pets had torn it open, and she worried that fighting might tear it back open.

A blade whizzed past her ear. Then again, she might get something _else_ torn open if she let it hinder her.

“Look at you,” he sneered into her ear. She took the break in blows to slice at him, but he backpedaled, circling her with fast steps. “All done up with face paint and everything. She really has deluded both you and herself.”

“You’re the only deluded one here.” Vex held up her blades again, though her arms shook with fatigue from blocking so many heavy strikes. Her mind raced; Adira should be back soon, but with the way things were going, it looked like ‘soon’ wasn’t going to be enough.

Why had she pushed to be left alone…?

“Am I?” Hector laughed, a little incredulously. “I’m not the one chasing magical princesses. I’m the one trying to contain the threat. And that makes me the crazy one?”

“No, the fact that you’re attacking me alone makes you crazy.” Vex narrowed her eyes at him. “Really honorable of you, Brother. Trying to kill a child-- your words, remember-- out in the woods alone.”

“Do not call me that.” He sneered at her. “You are not one of us, no matter what Adira says.”

“The law of the Brotherhood states otherwise.” Vex smiled, small and venomous. “Or do you not follow your king’s word any longer?”

“You have never met our king.” Hector peered at her, the look of a predator. “What do you know about the workings of the Brotherhood?”

“Adira taught me--”

“Adira is a fool!” Hector was shouting now, footsteps heavy and sharp as he stormed toward her. “An idiot! An absolute--”

“Watch your tongue.” Something slammed into Hector from the side.

Vex stumbled back, blinking in awe as she watched the action unfold. Hector and Adira moved like lynxes, smooth and fluid and precise; jealousy bloomed in her chest as she watched the two fight. She dreamed of the skill they possessed in a little skirmish like this-- how long had it taken them to master their weapons? How many years had they trained together?

“I should’ve just killed the brat,” Hector hissed past gritted teeth. “She was stalling for you, wasn’t she?”

“You always were the excitable one,” Adira returned airily. “You’re so bullheaded and determined, but you always forget there are outside factors… what, did you think I really left her all alone?”

Vex grinned when Adira’s boot slammed into Hector’s chest. He caught himself just in time, flipping over before he hit the ground, but she could tell the attack had winded him.

“Why do you insist on keeping that girl around?” he demanded, wheezing but still furious. “She is nothing but a waste of your time!”

“I owed her,” Adira shrugged. “And besides, we won’t be around forever. Someone will need to take my place as traveling eccentric beauty.”

“You’re such a--” Hector cut himself off with a frustrated growl. “ _Traitor_!”

“Am I? Or am I simply a free thinker?” Adira smiled, pointing her sword at him. “A force of chaotic good, if you will.”

“You’re infuriating, is what you are.” Hector sneered. “Untrustworthy and infuriating. May King Edmund curse your name.”

“I don’t think King Edmund has much to say on matters outside the Kingdom.” Adira still wore her smug smirk. “And besides-- he always listened to my reasoning. I had a lot of favor with him.”

“Now you’re just provoking me.” Hector raised his blade, taking a few steps forward. “Do you expect to return to him, Adira? To return to your post with your little street-rat pet?”

“I don’t need to tell you my plans.” Adira kept her voice level, still smirking as he approached. “It doesn’t matter, anyway. No matter what I say, you’re going to come after us, aren’t you?”

“True.” He grinned then. “It doesn’t matter what you’re planning. You’re dead either way.”

“Very well. Vex, you may want to run.” Adira cast a wink over her shoulder. “Don’t worry, I’ll catch up.”

“But Adira--”

“ _I’ll catch up_.”

Hector ran forward, and metal clashed on black stone.

Vex turned and ran.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... Rapunzel: Day One is coming up next, but it'd kind of be pointless to reset her memory at this point. Everyone cast your votes now: whose memory should be erased?
> 
> Also, for later: who should be de-aged in Matthews' shell house?
> 
> Let me know what you think!


	10. Rewind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The party stumbles upon an abandoned merchant caravan and decides to search for anything useful. However, the novelties cart proves to be a lot more interesting than expected.
> 
> _________

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoooo how about that pre-finale?? Ngl I feel like Cass was way out of character, but... oh well. We got to see Eugene and Varian being buddies! (And a bazooka omg--)
> 
> Anyway, by popular demand, I've chosen to go a different route from canon on this chapter, and I quite like how it ended up! I hope you do too! <3
> 
> ________

“Eugene?”

“Yeah? What is it, Sunshine?”

Rapunzel didn’t answer right away. She really didn’t know how to word her next question; in hindsight, she probably should’ve thought about it a little more before she got his attention. Although, she tended to do that a lot-- dive into conversation even before she knew what she wanted to talk about-- and he never seemed to mind waiting.

After a few seconds of looking around, taking in the thinning trees and the slivers of blue sky between progressively bare branches, she sighed and leaned back on his chest. “Did I mess up?”

She couldn’t see his face, but he stiffened behind her, and she felt his fingers drift softly through her hair. “What do you mean?”

“With Cass.” Rapunzel glanced ahead. Cassandra had taken the lead some time ago, claiming that Owl had seen signs of people ahead and that she needed to be on the lookout. “When I got that fortune, I felt so sure that confronting her was the right thing to do… but all it did was make things worse, I think.”

“Well,” he drawled out. “I think it looks worse, but if you think about it, this was all going on way before you decided to intervene. If anything, you just… brought their feelings to light. Y’know?”

“Maybe. But…” She sighed, covering her face with her hands. “Varian’s been so sad since that day and nothing seems to be breaking him out of it!”

“Well, if there’s one person who can completely turn someone’s day around, it’s you, Sunshine,” Eugene chuckled. “When we get to… wherever it is we’re going up here, maybe you can cheer him up.”

“You think so?” A soft smile touched her lips.

“I believe in you.” Eugene pressed a kiss to the top of her head, sending electricity racing down all the way to her toes. “You can make anyone see the bright side of things.”

“Thanks, Eugene.” She tipped back her head to smile at him. His brown eyes were soft and warm and full of what she could only describe as love-- an emotion she’d looked so hard for all her life and, before now, had never really found. “Thank you for everything. I love you.”

Just like before, a look of surprise pulled at his features, but it was a little more short-lived this time; warmth returned in its place, and he returned her smile. “Love you too, Rapunzel.”

She wasn’t sure if she’d be able to fix what she’d messed up, but… well, if Eugene believed in her, she could do anything. Rapunzel was sure of it. As long as he was here beside her, she could face anything.

“We’re here.” Cassandra’s voice tugged her out of her thoughts, and Rapunzel blinked as she looked ahead. She was still a little cold and withdrawn; she seemed to look more past the group than at them, and her face was little more than an ironed-flat mask. But, well, at least she was talking; Rapunzel was fairly certain she was on her way to opening up. “Be on your guard. Owl says it looks like an abandoned caravan, but we can never be too sure.”

“Abandoned caravan?” Lance called from the back. “You know what that means, don’tcha, Eugene?”

“It means we hopefully won’t run into any people,” Cassandra cut him off before he could say a word.

“Well,  _ yeah,  _ but it also means there’ll be stuff ripe for the taking!” Rapunzel couldn’t see Lance, but she could hear the excitement glowing in his voice. “Remember that time we looted that one earl’s carriages? All the gold and jewelry and--”

“Yes, I remember, now please stop before you make Max buck me off.” There was laughter in Eugene’s voice, but she could tell he was serious. Max’s affirmative snort actually made her worry a little, too. “Our thieving days are behind us, remember?”

“Yeah, yeah, I know. But this isn’t thieving, per se! I mean, whatever’s there is just sitting, unclaimed. It’s a victimless crime!”

“As much as I hate to admit it, Lance has a point.” Cassandra interrupted them, pointing ahead. “That’s got to have some stuff in it, and we’ve got to find resources somehow without going into public again.”

Rapunzel’s eyes widened at the scene. Their path emerged from the forest into an open plateau; the thick forest grass underfoot faded into rich brownish stone, eroded by wind and time. Atop that lay the remains of what seemed to be a group of old covered wagons, abandoned for some inexplicable reason in the cliffs. They were a myriad of colors and sizes, but most of them seemed to follow a red theme, with muted maroon walls and reddish-brown roofs. And Lance had, indeed, been right: even from here, Rapunzel could make out all of the knickknacks and assorted objects poking out here and there like buried treasure.

“Looks like it was a merchant caravan at one point,” Cassandra grunted as she dismounted Fidella. “Probably won’t have any food, unless it’s spoiled, but might have some gear… look sharp, everyone. Take anything useful.”

They all dismounted after her; Eugene jumped off with a heavy thump first before offering her his hand. She took it gratefully; even after traveling with them for a while, getting on and off horses never seemed to come to her like it came to the others.

Ruddiger and Pascal scurried ahead, already scouting for who-knows-what, while Stelle and Fancy took the opportunity to go back and munch on a patch of grass. Being more disciplined, Maximus and Fidella followed right behind their riders, though Rapunzel didn’t really know what they planned on doing.

As the group fanned out, she slowly found herself sucked into all the artifacts and old wares. A lot of it was weathered, some of it broken, but she could still make out what a lot of it was. Figurines, glass sculptures, books, carvings… all sorts of things she wanted to grab up and take with her. She wondered for a moment if Cassandra would berate her before shrugging and grabbing a little wooden statue of a bird, just big enough to fit in her palm. Surely she’d be able to smuggle that with her…  
And then her eyes landed on the crate. A slow smile crept up her face, and all thoughts of appeasing Cassandra were forgotten.

She’d found  _ paints. _

  
  


_____________

  
  
  


“Little disappointed, I have to say,” Lance frowned down at some kind of clay vase. “No gold, no jewels…”  
“Well, I don’t think they’d have left any real valuables behind,” Eugene said absently, perusing what appeared to be a wardrobe of some kind. It was full of all types of stuff, and he guessed it was probably used to store either wares or personal items. “Yeah, it just looks like a bunch of novelty stuff… they were probably from somewhere far away, to have this many souvenir-type things.”

He pulled one of the drawers out a little too fast, and something clattered to the ground below. He wouldn’t have really cared, had the glint of ruby not caught his eye. Eugene only took a second to turn around and reach for it, but it was a second too long-- Lance’s hand swept the object off the ground before he could get to it.

“Oooh, and what might this fancy thing be?” Lance turned it around in his fingers, examining the ruby set in beautifully-polished wood. It looked-- it looked like a  _ wand _ , Eugene realized. Like an actual magic wand.

...Pshh. Like he’d thought earlier: souvenirs and novelties.

“What do you think this beauty would go for?” Lance was asking, trying to pry the ruby out. “Lustrous shine, deep color… looks almost magical!”

“It’d probably net you a good few gold coins,” Eugene glanced at it over his shoulder. “Looks like something we probably would’ve nabbed.”

“I was just thinking the same thing!” Lance grinned. “Man, just think of how happy we would’ve been to find this ten years ago! This could be worth, like, a small chunk of our debt to the Baron.”

“...Would’ve been great,” Eugene’s voice was quiet. He tried to block out all the memories that came with Lance’s innocent line, but… it was hard. Like looking back at the worst parts of himself and facing the fact that he’d never be able to leave them behind completely.

Outrun a guard? Sure. The best of the palace horses? Easy, given the right terrain.

His past? Not a chance.

Lance frowned. “What’s going on with you, Eugene? You used to love reminiscing about our grand adventures! Now you just get all mopey.”

“I--” Eugene grimaced as the left half of his vision flickered, purples and black spots blooming around the edges. He always had a little bit of a purplish tint, but his eye tended to act up even worse with emotion-- something he’d really had to be careful of around Rapunzel. “Maybe I just want to forget about all that, Lance. I’ve finally found my way. I-- I’m not a thief anymore.”

“I know that,” Lance grumbled, prying a little harder at the ruby. “But can you really just… dismiss your past like that? Dismiss all the things we did together?”

“Lance,” Eugene sighed, blinking rapidly in hopes it would restore his vision. It worked, to an extent-- it was still spotty, but getting more manageable. “I swear to you, I’m not trying to disregard our friendship. But… I have a new life, you know? I’ve grown.”

“Yeah, well, you can have a new life! But have you maybe considered that I haven’t been able to make that leap yet?” Lance sighed, now just fiddling with the wand-thing. “Look, Eugene, I… I don’t have the friends you do. The others don’t trust me, and I get that-- especially not Cassandra. But I haven’t had that big change yet, you know? There’s no magical princess waiting for me in a tower. I’m just… Lance. A thief.”

“...You’re Arnwaldo too, you know,” Eugene said after a moment. “You can always go back to your old name. You don’t need some big change to take a different path.”

“Yeah, Arnwaldo. The one tall awkward kid from the orphanage who was too dumb to tell when he was being swindled.” Lance glared down at the wand, gripping it so hard his knuckles paled. “I’m not like you, Eugene. I’m Lance. That’s all I’ve got. And sometimes, I just… for one second, I wish you could forget all of this and remember what it was like to be in my shoes.”

Eugene opened his mouth to answer, but the words died on his tongue as mist exploded from the wand, bathing him in a cloud of pink.

  
  


_________

  
  
  


“I don’t know, buddy,” Varian murmured. “I don’t think Cassie would approve of me taking any of this stuff. It’s too… frivolous, you know?”

That didn’t stop him from wanting to take all the strange bottles. They glimmered with promises of strange and exciting discoveries, colors and consistencies and chemical reactions. But as he’d told Ruddiger, they wouldn’t be accepted, would they? He didn’t know what they were, and he didn’t have the time to experiment with them all.

And then it hit him-- he’d called her ‘Cassie’. A wave of guilt spread through him, and Varian sighed, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall of the wagon. He didn’t get to call her that anymore. Cassie was her name before he betrayed her-- before he failed her. Before he ruined everything.

“...Varian?”

He jumped, turning around with both hands held up. “I’m not taking any of it, I swear, I was just--”

Rapunzel caught his gloved hands in her own, green eyes wide with surprise. “You’re okay, Varian! Shh. I’m-- I’m not mad at you.”

Her voice gradually drained the panic from him, but Varian’s hands still shook as he took them back. He picked at the leather of his gloves, looking down as shame burned at his face. “Sorry. I thought… I thought you were Cassi- Cassandra.”

“Nope, just me,” Rapunzel giggled, but he could see the pity under her sunshiny expression. It made another pang of guilt tug at him; she had enough to worry about, without his stupid self dragging her down.

...What was wrong with him? He’d never been so hard on himself before, not even when he blew up an entire harvest’s worth of apples that one time…

“...Anyway,” she was saying, toes curling in the dirt as she pushed past the sudden awkwardness. “I found something you might want to see.”

She took one of his hands again, and he didn’t resist as she pulled him along. Ruddiger chittered, jumping off the cart and barely landing on Varian’s shoulders in time.

They wove through the caravan in a strange zigzag pattern that made Varian wonder if she’d forgotten where exactly she’d wanted to take him. At one point, he caught Cassandra in the corner of his vision, which sent an irrational jolt through him-- _what would she say? Does she know we’re playing around?_ \-- but eventually, Rapunzel stopped in front of one of the carts.  
Her grin was wide and bright as she let go of his hand to reach into one of the crates. Then, with a flourish, she lifted out what appeared to be some kind of book. Except, unlike most of the plain storybook covers he was used to, this one looked as if it had been handpainted with a cute little design of alchemy bottles and test tubes. Some of the lines were wrong, and Varian almost pointed out that there was no way anyone could measure anything in a container like that-- but then his eyes strayed to the paints and brushes scattered along the base of the crate, and he fell silent.

“I made something for you,” Rapunzel grinned, face a little pink with excited embarrassment. “It’s-- well, I mean, I painted over the cover, that’s all. But look! It’s a sketchbook! You-- you draw, don’t you?”

It took a second for him to respond. When he did, it was with a slow nod. “Yeah…”

That seemed to give Rapunzel the confidence she needed, and she pushed the book into his hands. “I thought so! Then this will be the perfect thing to pay you back for the paint!”

He froze. “For-- for the paint? You did this for me because--?”

“Of course!”

He didn’t know how to feel-- somewhere between shocked and completely numbed. “But… it was just one color. In pure form, it can be pigmented to whatever you want, but with just one bottle there wasn’t much you could do--”

“Varian,” she cut him off again, a little bit of strain behind the reassuring tone. “It was a precious gift. And it’s special to me.”

It hit him fast. Before he could stop it, there was emotion rising like a tidal wave in his throat, and his vision blurred; Ruddiger’s weight disappeared from his shoulders as he threw himself at Rapunzel in a hug. She stumbled back, but she’d been getting stronger over the past while; he could feel the stiff shock in her frame, but also the way it melted, and the way her hand rubbed circles on his back as he cried on her shoulder.

He was pathetic. An attention beggar. He didn’t deserve to have her comfort him-- this was the girl  _ they  _ had set out to rescue, what felt like so long ago.

But it felt good to let a little bit out, after so long of keeping everything in.

“Thank-- you,” he hiccupped. “Thank you, Princess. Rapunzel.”

“Aw, you’re welcome, Varian,” she murmured. He could still hear the smile in her voice. “I’m just glad you like it! I’ve never really given anyone a present before.” She laughed, the sound clear and happy and so uplifting that it made Varian feel somehow lighter.

After a few seconds, he finally collected himself enough to break away. He ran a glove over his face before looking down at her gift with new eyes. Instead of little inaccuracies, he just saw loving brush strokes and thoughtful little details, a delightful art style that he’d never been able to truly grasp; he’d learned to draw for scientific purposes, specimens and replications of things he’d seen. But here, looking down at this creation, he got a sudden urge to be creative like she had-- to think of something and draw it, just for the sake of capturing it on paper not for documentation but because he wanted to. Because he thought it was pretty.

His mind flicked back to Cassandra, of course, but… maybe, just maybe, he’d been overthinking things. She wouldn’t get mad at him for taking this! She had no reason to!

A little flutter of giddiness made him grin for the first time in days, open and unabashed, buck teeth on full display. “Oh, man, I-- I can’t wait to draw in this! I’ll show you as soon as I get started! Thank you so much, Rapunzel, really--”

He was cut off by a shout.

Varian and Rapunzel shared a worried look before they took off towards the sound. Ruddiger scampered behind them, and he could hear both Maximus and Stelle’s alarmed neighing as they drew closer. It had sounded like Lance, which meant either he’d seen a spider or had gotten really excited about something…

...Or something was very, very wrong.

Cassandra got there before they did; she and Lance were both facing away from them, leaning over something. While Varian skidded to a stop several paces away from them, Rapunzel kept going, brow creased with worry. “What’s going on? We heard a shout!”

“Princess!” Lance turned, and Varian caught sight of something shiny in his hands-- was that a wand? What kind of vendor sold fake wands with gems inlaid in them? “I’m so sorry, I didn’t-- I didn’t know-- I didn’t mean to--”

“Save it, Lance,” Cassandra huffed, arms crossed over her chest. “Rapunzel, I… you might want to see this…”

Catching Lance’s eye, they shared a nod, backing away slowly to reveal what they’d been looking at: Eugene, tied up to a weathered chair and looking very panicky.

“What? Why would you guys tie him up?” Rapunzel put her hands on her hips as she turned her eyes to him. “What’d you do, Eugene?”

He blinked, his eyes-- both warm brown and solid black-- filled with the same confusion as everyone else was feeling… and suddenly Varian got a very bad feeling.

“How do you know my name!?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah I know, cliffhanger. But I thought I'd give the other characters some emotion and development before we dive into pre-movie Eugene dealing with the concept of 'you're telling me I have morals??' haha. It was a nice opportunity to explore Lance a bit more as well, since I usually find myself at a loss with how to write him. Canon could've developed him a lot more, I think... or at least given him a different outfit now and again, y'know?
> 
> I have a lot of ideas for this next chapter, actually... I hope you enjoy where I take this, because I sure will!
> 
> (Also... I just realized... the end of this week marks the end of Tangled canon. After this week, I'll just be playing catch-up, and then... it's all over. I'm sad now T.T)
> 
> Anyway!! I hope you liked this chapter! <3 Thank you for reading!


	11. What's In A Name

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Eugene loses his memory, the party scrambles to figure out a solution, while dealing with a very confused Flynn Rider in the meantime.
> 
> Back in Corona, Quirin is questioning his code of honor.
> 
> ________

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The amnesia chapter is heeeeeere! It ended up getting way more serious than I thought it would? But hey I like how it turned out-- I think this was something that needed to be done.
> 
> Also: the FINALE, you guys. THE FINALE. I do, of course, have a few nitpicks, but to focus on the positives only-- WOW! Varian screentime! Lore! Even a little Disney-grade Eugene whump! Everyone's story ending just right, not too perfect but satisfying and happy and ahhhh! I'm so sad it's over, but at least it ended on that note, huh?
> 
> Hahaha! Anyway, hope you enjoy <3
> 
> ________

Flynn Rider had seen some crazy things in his time. He’d _done_ some crazy things. And he didn’t even want to start thinking about all the times he’d woken up with a gap in his memory in a crazy situation, usually after a night spent celebrating a successful job a little too hard.

But being tied to a chair and staring at a group of strangers in the middle of nowhere who all seemed to know his name? And not to mention the fact that his vision was acting really weird, with half of it flickering purple every few minutes.

Yeah, that topped the list.

“Eugene?” The blonde one stepped forward, expression a mix of dread and confusion. “Eugene, it’s me. Rapunzel.”

“Lance?” Flynn asked, glancing over to his friend. Lance looked on the brink of tears, standing a few paces behind the tough-looking black-haired lady. Flynn’s first assumption was that he’d betrayed him somehow, but… why? What’d they give him? It didn’t make any sense. “What’s happening? Why does Blondie here know my name?”

A sob rose in Lance’s chest, and suddenly he ducked forward, huge arms wrapping around Flynn in an awkward hug. “Oh, Eugene! I’m so sorry! Please forgive me! I'm such a huge idiot!”

He rolled his eyes. Even when distressed, Lance was always the dramatic one. “Yeah, okay, okay. What’d you do?”

“And that’s the worst part! I don’t _knoooow_!”

“Cut it out, Lance.” Ms. Tough pulled him back by the shoulder. “Looks like you took out his memory somehow. We gotta think this through.”

“Took his memory?” Blondie clasped her hands over her chest. “Oh, Eugene…”

“There-- there has to be some kind of scientific explanation.” Now there’s a teenager too!? Flynn watched as the kid ran a gloved hand through his hair, pacing back and forth. “And if-- if it _is_ magic, which I _guess_ exists now, there would have to be a foil to it, right? An opposite force? Some way to reverse the effect.”

“Look,” Flynn started, “I don’t know what you guys are on about, but I can tell you’re very distressed. I think you’ve got the wrong guy. I was on my way out of Corona, and…”

Suddenly a jolt of panic went through him, and he looked around, twisting his neck so quickly that it hurt. “Oh no. Oh nonono. Where is my satchel?”

Blondie’s voice was halting, a little broken. “It… it’s gone, Eugene. I don’t know where it ended up.”

Panic seized him. “But the crown--!”

“The crown doesn’t matter.” She reached down towards his face, eyes wide and misty; he tried to lean away, but there was only so far he could go. “Eugene, do you really not…?”

“Guys, I think I found something,” the teenager piped up again, drawing everyone’s attention. He was nose-deep in a small blue book, leaned against a shelf stacked high with random junk. “The… the Wand of Oblivium”--he pointed at the strange-looking stick clutched in Lance’s hands-- “can be reversed with a simple potion as follows: four leaves from a Rivellette plant, ground cane-flower petals, one storm-swallow egg, three stems of gritweed…”

He flipped the page. Then he flipped the page again. And again. And… again. His shoulders slumped forward as he closed the book. “I hate magic.”

“Varian!” Blondie lit up, eyes filled with a kind of desperate hope that he only ever saw in criminals planning to break out of prison. She rushed at the kid-- Varian, she said-- and nearly tackled him in a hug. “You found a cure! Oh my gosh!”

“Technically it’s just the recipe for the cure, but…” he smiled, though with his face squished up against her, it only made it halfway across his lips. “Uh, no problem, Rapunzel.”

“So there’s a cure. Let’s get on it.” Ms. Tough snapped her fingers at Lance. “You and the kid go find everything. A lot of it might be stocked in these carts, if they were carrying a wand like this. We'll watch Fitzherbert.”

“Oh, so now you’re calling me by _that_ name, too?” Flynn rolled his eyes, heaving a long, dramatic sigh. He didn’t know what to think about a lot of this… lost memories? A Wand of Oblivium? His inner skeptic wanted to laugh in their faces, but-- he’d just been running from the guards a second ago, and then _bam,_ here he was in the middle of nowhere and surrounded by a girl with hair several times longer than she was, his old thieving buddy, and a ragtag group of oddballs that somehow knew his true name. Yeah, that would be enough to convince anyone that _something_ was up, and he really didn’t have an alternate explanation.

Still, though… he couldn’t help but wonder what could’ve possibly brought him here. Were these people all thieves, too? He could see Ms. Tough being one, but Blondie and Kid? Not a chance.

He was drawn back to reality when Lance pulled him into a tight hug. “We’ll fix you, buddy! I promise! Don’t you dare go anywhere until we get back!”

“Uh…” Flynn cleared his throat. Lance had always been touchy-feely, but in front of all these people? And it had been so long since they’d seen each other… “Yeah, bud. I’ll stay right here. No problem.”

Lance sniffed, wiping away a tear, before he backed up to join the teenager. The kid adjusted his goggles, opening his book again, and they started winding through the wagons together.

A few tense moments passed, and he finally turned to Ms. Tough and flashed her his most disarming smolder. “So, uh, the name’s Flynn Rider. How’s your day going?”

Blondie looked horrified, and Ms. Tough wrinkled her nose. “Ugh. This is going to be a long wait.”

  
  


________

  
  


Quirin sighed, rubbing his face in his hands. The Saporians had been so kind to him so far, and he really did appreciate it, but-- they couldn’t fix the gap in his memory. They’d tried their hardest; Clementine had given him so many potions in an attempt to cure his amnesia, but none of them seemed to work.

He hadn’t gone to the castle again since he yelled at Frederic. There had been something weird about that encounter-- an off feeling, like something wasn’t quite right. Frederic had been acting surprised, like he didn’t know what Quirin was talking about. But of course he would. He’d been sure to tell him as soon as he heard the order about finding the Sundrop Flower.

There would be dire consequences, and should they come to pass, Quirin would stop at nothing to see to it that his village-- that Camilla-- was safe from them. That had been the ultimatum. He had just watched his kingdom fall to those primordial magics; he wasn’t about to watch it happen again.

But then he himself had fallen. The last thing he remembered was Camilla’s smiling face, telling him that she would soon be bringing a little ray of moonlight into the world, some small way to carry on the Dark Kingdom’s legacy in the land of the sun… and then he woke up in the royal gardens, beaten and cast out of the castle, surrounded by sympathetic people who cared for him and explained what had happened.

A hand landed on his shoulder, and he looked up from the desk he’d been hunched over. Andrew smiled softly down at him. After all their kindness, he’d allowed them to stay in his home; it was far too big and empty for him now anyway. “Hey, buddy. You doing okay?”

“As well as one can.” He looked to his right. There they were; a grand painting of him, Camilla, and a laughing baby with a head full of thick black hair. It made pain lance through his heart. “I don’t remember any of it. None at all.”

The smile fell from Andrew’s mouth, and he backed away a few steps. “I’m sorry.”

“It isn’t your fault.” Quirin’s face hardened. “Frederic tampered with things he should never have touched. Even if I cannot recall everything, I know that much. And I also know that I begged him not to. He betrayed his entire kingdom-- turned his back on his people.”

“That’s why we do the things we do.” He couldn’t see Andrew’s voice, didn’t catch his smile. “I know you aren’t completely sympathetic to our cause. And I can admire that. You are a peaceful man. But please, know that we only want a better system for our people.”

“You are of a noble group, Andrew. I agree with you on that front.” He turned to meet the man’s eyes. “But I am a man of honor and integrity. Rebellion is not the right answer.”

“Perhaps not. But sometimes, it’s the only answer.” Andrew shrugged, backing away. He turned halfway before stopping, casting a glance over his shoulder. “We would be elated to have you with us, Quirin. You could turn the tides of our cause. We could reshape the kingdom together.”

He pressed his lips together in a hard, thin line, looking back to the painting. Regrettably, they hadn’t caught Camilla’s eyes, the way they laughed and shone bright blue when she smiled. Never again would he see those eyes, and never once would he see those of his son.

“...I’ll think about it,” he said at last.

Andrew’s teeth gleamed when he smiled. “That’s all I ask.”

_________

  
  


“Ruddiger! Bud, you can't eat the ingredients."

"Aw, Varian, let the poor guy have a snack." Lance gathered up a few of the small red berries, shoving them down into a leather bag they'd picked up from one of the wagons. "There's more than enough. He's probably starving."

"...We just ate before we got here."

"Really? Feels like days ago." Lance glanced over to Fancy. "Right, girl? You're hungry too, right?"

Varian traded a glance with Stelle, and they both rolled their eyes. Fancy had taken after her owner in a lot of ways, and unfortunately, that meant she was just as much of a bottomless pit as Lance and Ruddiger.

Still, though, he didn't complain about their habits. It was… nice, in a way, to be comfortable enough to tease the people around him. It always felt like he was walking on eggshells these days, and it wouldn't be long before he stepped too hard on one of them…

"I miss Vex." The words come absently, slipping past his lips as he consulted his list for the thousandth time. But, well, it was true. She really _got_ him, and she'd been there when it happened-- when he lost his bond with Cassandra. Vex, for all her tough exterior and for all the emotionless knight Adira was training her to be, connected with him.

_I wonder if she still has that vial of Vexoleum…_

Too late, he realized Lance and Stelle were both looking at him oddly, and everything from his cheeks to his ears lit up bright red. "What?"

"You've got it bad, kid." Lance smirked, all bright white and toothy.

"Got what bad?" Varian's voice cracked as he reached for a bundle of dried… gritweed? Hopefully. "I don't know what you're talking about. Haven't we had this conversation before? I think we have. Let's not do it again."

Lance elbowed Fancy, who gave a nicker so close to a laugh that it took Varian by surprise. "Hear that? Kid can't even stick to one story."

"Shut up," Varian muttered under his breath, grabbing Ruddiger and avoiding eye contact. "I just really like her, okay? She understands me."

"All right, all right. Fine. I can wait patiently for you to come to terms." He patted Fancy's side. "Emotions are hard to deal with."

"You're telling me." Varian let out a deep breath. Then a realization hit him, and his brows scrunched. "...Wait, why are you so happy all of a sudden? You were all kinds of emotional when we started out, and now you're teasing me."

"That's called 'The Big Brother Principle', my friend, and it states that I may choose at any time to tease you regardless of emotional state." He folded his hands, looking down. "...And because I don't really want to think about Eugene now."

Varian tilted his head, running his fingers through Ruddiger's fur. "...Hiding from your mistakes, huh?"

"Yeah." Lance's good cheer had all but dissolved, and he let out a sigh. "It's all you can do, really, when you've made as many as I have."

"I get that." Varian glanced down at the list. All the letters blurred together; for the moment, he had no more attention left to spend on it. The sudden images of Cassandra and her hand, of her tearstreaked, shocked face, filled his mind's eye. “...I get that.”

“It wasn’t your fault.”

“You keep saying that, but--” Something thick and icy crawled up his throat, and he took in a sharp breath before turning away. “I don’t wanna talk about it.”

He could feel Lance’s eyes burning holes in the back of his head, but he didn’t look. He didn’t want to look. He just wanted to dig through all this stuff and find what Cassandra had sent them to find: a way to help. A way to prove that he was supposed to be here, that they _shouldn’t_ have left him back at home. Varian could do things to help, to make himself worth it--

He didn’t realize his vision was blurring until he had to blink to clear it. Somewhere in his chaotic searching, he’d unearthed a small scroll tied with a thin blue ribbon. His first instinct was to throw it aside-- _curiosity isn’t helpful, remember what happened last time you were curious? Last time you experimented and took chances?--_ but, well, he was an alchemist. It was in his nature to question, to dig around and find answers and more secrets.

Carefully, he undid the knot and slid the scroll open. The parchment crackled a little as it unrolled, thin and fragile under his leather gloves.

His breathing grew shallow. Blueprints. They were blueprints-- inked in such tiny, meticulous detail that even a layman could understand them in every aspect. Measurements down to the millimeter, notes scattered across it in clean and clear handwriting…

And in the middle of it all, flawlessly sketched out, was a diagram of a _hot air balloon._

  
  


______

  
  


“So.” Flynn inhaled deep enough to make his chest hurt. “You are the Lost Princess. I stole your crown, climbed into your tower to hide, and you knocked me out and forced me to take you to see the lantern festival.”

“I mean, I wouldn’t say _forced_ ,” Rapunzel smiled, shrugging and tilting her head. Sunset made her blonde hair glow a faint, rich orange. If he was honest, for a princessy type… she was a lot friendlier than he’d imagined her to be.

“Blackmailed, then.” He deadpanned. “Regardless, we went on a journey together, you saw the lanterns, your evil fake mom chained you up and stabbed me, you healed me on the condition that she could take you away… what happens after that?”

“That’s where we come in.” Ms. Tough, who had identified herself as Cassandra, spoke without looking at them; she was too busy going through sword maneuvers. He couldn’t help but notice she was left-handed-- not that noteworthy, he supposed, just something he didn’t see every day. “Long story short, I nabbed you, we both went and found Varian, we picked up Lance on the road, and everybody became friends.”

“You sure have a way of telling a happy story like it’s some kind of debriefing.” Flynn frowned at her. “You _sure_ we’re all friends?”

Something crossed her face, and she stabbed her sword into the air with a little too much vigor. Her jaw was tense when she responded. “Mostly.”

“Cass,” Rapunzel sighed, voice heavy with something like regret or fatigue. Maybe both, maybe something else entirely-- he wasn’t really sure how to read her yet. When Cassandra didn’t answer, she turned to Flynn. “Yes, everyone’s friends. And you all saved me.”

“Which is where I got… _this_.” He pointed to his left eye. They’d untied his arms for the sake of kindness, but left his legs bound to the chair; Rapunzel had wanted to let him go completely until Cassandra convinced her that they needed to wait until his memory was restored. Which, all things considered, was probably a smart move on their part.

As much as he wanted to understand what was going on, the simple fact remained that he was a skeptic at heart, and he’d discount all of this as lies the second he got a chance at freedom. He didn’t much like being bound, especially not by royalty-- if she even was the Lost Princess like she claimed. (Not that he had much doubt on that particular point-- her _hair_ was a good reminder that their explanation did in fact hold water, as inconceivable as it was.) He’d tried to untie himself already, but a sword held up to his neck made a pretty good case to _not_ do that.

Rapunzel winced, eyes downcast. “...Yeah.”

“Because of magic.” Flynn crossed his arms. “Which is the one part of your story that I don’t really buy. Your hair is enough to convince me at least halfway that you’re the Lost Princess, but magic? Got any proof of that?”

Something hit him hard on the back of the head, sending his vision into a flurry of purples and blacks, and he shouted. “Hey! What was that for?”

“ _You’re_ proof of that, genius,” Cassandra laughed, resting an elbow on the back of his chair. “Your memory?”

“Yeah, because magic is the only thing that can cause amnesia. _Au contraire_ , _mon amie,_ I’ve had memory blanks before, and they had nothing to do with magic.”

“Months’ worth of memory blanks?” Cassandra lifted a brow. “What kind of stuff do they serve down at the Snuggly Duckling these days?”

“Very funny.” Flynn blinked a few times to clear his vision out a little; it was working, though slowly. “What’s all gonna be in that potion, anyway? Why should I drink it?”

“Because it’s going to bring you back!” Rapunzel cut Cassandra off before she could talk. She planted her hands on her hips, brows drawn in and lips in a determined pout. “You’re gonna remember everything. Like taking me out of the tower, and sneaking out of the Snuggly Duckling together, and telling me your name, and the cupcakes and the library and the boat ride and the lanterns and…”

He realized with a tiny bolt of panic that she was tearing up. Her eyes misted over, hands clenching as she drew them to her chest. The frog that had been sitting on her shoulder quietly finally crawled up to pat her cheek consolingly.

His stomach twisted, both from awkwardness and sympathy. Cassandra looked just as out of place as he did, but she pulled Rapunzel into a hug, casting a glare his way as if it were all his fault for not remembering. They stared at each other for a second-- _Do something, Fitzherbert! / What am_ I _supposed to do!?_ \-- before he finally looked away from the scene entirely. For some reason, it hurt something deep inside him to see Rapunzel cry; even the sound of it was making his chest hurt in all sorts of odd ways.

It was a welcome change of pace when he spotted Lance and… what was the kid’s name again? Varian!-- coming back, riding atop their horses. Varian’s raccoon friend hopped down to run to them, chittering at Cassandra and Rapunzel’s feet with some kind of fruit in his mouth.

“Ruddiger!” Varian scolded him, casting a fearful glance to Cassandra. “Get back here! Don’t bother her.”

“He’s fine.” Cassandra leaned down to take the fruit from his mouth. “Whatcha got, buddy? A strawberry?”

“Found some growing in a thicket. The memory potion called for a few, but we took back the extras.” Lance took a deep breath before his smile faded. “Look. Um. Varian… Varian already brewed it; we found a bunch of cookware and stuff and it wasn’t that complicated to make once we had everything. But I’d like a word with Eugene first.”

“It’s Flynn,” he grumbled out on instinct, then grimaced when everyone gave him a sad look. “What? We agreed to go by our monikers, _Arnwaldo Shnitz_.”

Hurt flashed through Lance’s eyes. The others seemed surprised, but not the least bit amused-- almost as if they were taken aback by the fact that he’d reveal such a secret. Honestly… maybe he was, too. But Lance had just been calling him Eugene! An eye for an eye, right?

Lance heaved a heavy sigh. “We did. Then you asked everyone to call you Eugene.”

He blinked. “Why would I ever _want_ that name? All Eugene has going for him is a cold orphanage room and a bunch of torn-up books.”

“Maybe at one point. But you know what?” Lance stepped forward, and something very powerful struck through Flynn. He’d never seen his old friend this serious. “All Flynn has is a bunch of backstabbing partners and cold metal coins. Eugene has a best friend, and a sister, and a little brother, and for cryin’ out loud, he’s in love with the Lost Princess.”  
He blew out slowly, tension leaving his shoulders. “These people have given Eugene more than Flynn ever had. And-- and you were trying to tell me that. You were trying so hard to tell me that I could be like that too, that I didn’t have to be like how you are right now. And I _didn’t listen_.”

Flynn didn’t know what it was, but something about how Lance spoke-- something about the raw emotion, or perhaps the truth coming from someone usually so dishonest… it made something pick at the back of his mind. Something bright, and warm, and a little bit painful.

He pressed his lips together, eyes flicking to Varian and voice hardening. “Give me the potion.”

Varian blinked. “H-huh?”

“The potion. Hand it here.”

The kid cast a look over at Cassandra, as if to ask permission, before stepping forward to hand over the small bottle. The liquid inside had an odd, unappetizing neon glow that cast his hands in acid green. He had a brief moment of hesitation as he turned it over in his hands-- _what if this hunch was wrong? What if it was poison? This really is a stupid idea--_ but at last, he pulled out the cork and downed it without stopping.

It burned going down and made his stomach flop. His immediate reaction was to gasp in pain, but it didn’t last long; a few seconds or so later, the effect was already waning, leaving him only a little drained.

Flynn frowned up at everyone surrounding him, scanning their hopeful faces. Still unfamiliar. He heaved a deep sigh, rubbing at his damaged eye. _Sorry, guys, I don’t think it--_

Memories erupted from within him like a geyser.

He could do nothing more than stare, glassy-eyed, at the ground as they flowed in. Rapunzel, the tower, Gothel, being stabbed, being healed, Varian’s house, the wedding with Stalyan, Equis, The Great Tree, Adira, Lance, Pincosta--

Allies, friends--

_Sister, lover, brothers--_

“Sunshine,” he croaked out, and a soft gasp reached his ears.

Before he knew it, everyone was piling on him, and he couldn’t even get angry when the chair pitched backward and they all ended up a laughing pile on the ground.

Eugene had missed them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't mean for it to go this way, honest. I really didn't. This was supposed to be funnier.
> 
> But... well, Eugene deserves some time away from his comic relief job, I think.
> 
> Looking ahead-- next is Mirror, Mirror! Which means Matthews and his crazy shell house! Anyone have some requests and/or suggestions for how that one goes? I already have a few plans but I'm willing to take ideas ;D
> 
> Hope you liked it!! <3


	12. Reflection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Caught in a storm, the party must take shelter in a strange house filled with mystical artifacts. When one of them turns out to be more malicious than it first seemed, though, they find themselves unsure of who to trust.
> 
> ________

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mirror, Mirror is here! Which means they're deaging next chapter!!
> 
> This one was a lot longer than I anticipated it being-- over 6k, but I think I like how it turned out. (Actually, when I do a chapter that sticks a little closer to canon than usual, it always seems to be longer, LOL.) Lots of stuff that needed to be addressed.
> 
> Anyway, hope you enjoy! <3
> 
> _________

The rain started around midday.

It was soft at first, a gentle sprinkling that settled in Cassandra’s hair and made it sparkle. It was refreshing, for a time; it would wax and wane over the course of the next few hours, fog rolling in ever so slowly through the trees.

Then, right around evening, it started to _pour._

Everyone had already stowed away anything the rain could ruin, but the heavy sheets falling from the heavens threatened to soak through even their weatherproof saddlebags. The animals were miserable, with the horses slipping every so often in the mud and Ruddiger shuddering against his boy’s side. Pascal got the worst of it, though; he’d gone a pale shade of his normal green, and she hadn’t seen him move since he curled up on Rapunzel’s shoulder an hour ago.

As for the people, well-- Cassandra’s teeth chattered so loudly that she could barely hear anyone else, and Rapunzel was already beginning to complain of a neckache from her rope of soaked hair. Varian had lowered his goggles over his eyes a while ago in an attempt to see through the storm; she assumed they must’ve been waterproofed somehow, because he seemed to be the only one of them who could actually see anything. Which meant, to her great consternation, that he was the one leading them now.

It took around twenty minutes before Varian finally turned back toward them, looking like some kind of insect with his goggles on. “I see a house! It’s really weird-looking, but…”

“Shelter!” Lance pumped a fist. “What we waitin’ for? Let’s go!”

“What kind of weird?” Cassandra asked at the same time, brows lowering. If _Varian_ said something was weird… they might need to stick it out for something else.

His shoulders fell inward. Ah, right-- he was _afraid_ of her, or something. She was getting kind of tired of it; it wasn’t like she’d _attacked_ him or anything, after all. It had been a while since their last fight. Didn’t the kid know how to compartmentalize? There were a lot of things to be focusing on at the moment, and nearly all of them more important than feelings.

“Who cares? It’s shelter!” Lance cut in before Varian could reply. “Maybe there’s food!”

“I have to say, Lance has got a point,” Eugene spoke up, shouting over the wind. “Look, Cass, we can’t stay out here much longer. I look great wet, but the supplies? Whole different story.”

Cassandra rolled her eyes. Now that he had Rapunzel back, Eugene was starting to open up more and more-- which would’ve been a good thing, except Eugene made terrible jokes when he was being himself. Though, she supposed it was a lot better than when he was Flynn Rider a week ago… that had been an event. “Fine. But we’re leaving if whoever lives there gives us so much as a weird look.”

“I’m sure it’ll be fine, Cass,” Rapunzel smiled over her shoulder, though she could see the strain in it. Her face had drained of color, and her thin shoulders jerked with shivers, even as she huddled against Eugene. Cassandra hadn’t thought about that; even now, Rapunzel was still recovering, and the cold probably bit her a lot worse than it did the rest of them. “Most people have good hearts.”

Cassandra shook her head, but… well. There was no point in arguing. Eugene had given a pretty solid reason; they had spent a long time exposed to the elements as it was, and it was only going to get worse the longer they stayed out. “Fine. Just-- fine.”

When Varian led them up to the door, she cast a wary glance over the house. It was an odd salmon pink and shaped kind of like a conch shell, which was weird enough, but considering they were miles from the coast… well, it was just _strange._ Cassandra didn’t like it, at all.

But, it was shelter, and they didn’t have much choice.

Varian was the one to dismount first and knock on the door. They stood for several minutes, shivering and shifting from one foot to the other, before the door creaked open to reveal a tall, slender man in a red waistcoat. He had an angular, ageless face, despite pure white hair that he had pulled back in a sensible ponytail. Green eyes narrowed as he pursed his lips, lifting his pointy, pencil-thin mustache. 

“Hello, sir,” Varian tried to smile, even pulling up his goggles.

At the sight of a kid, the man’s suspicious glare evaporated, and he offered them a pleasant grin. When he spoke, it was with a lilting French accent, not too deep but not too high either. “Oh, look ‘ow wet all of you are… do you zuppose zat’s because of ze rain?”

Varian cast a glance over his shoulder, face blank but for a flash of questioning in his eyes. Eugene stepped forward, arms falling back to his sides as he subtly covered Rapunzel from the man’s view. “We got caught in the storm. D’you think we could just step in until the rain passes?”

The man gave a slight laugh. “Of courze, of courze… my name iz Matthews, and you are all welcome!... exzept ze ‘orses and ze raccoon, zey shed too much and leave prints all over ze carpet, oui?” He waved a hand somewhere off to the left; when she looked, Cassandra could see the faint outline of a short building past the rain. “Ze stable for you!”

“...The stable?” It was quiet, too quiet for Matthews to hear it, but Varian’s question was just loud enough to reach Cassandra’s ears-- and from the way she saw Rapunzel and Lance look at him, they’d heard it, too. Varian looked over at Ruddiger on his shoulder, a mixture of emotions battling across his face, but above it all was a deep layer of dread.

Finally, though, Ruddiger reached up to pat his face and scampered off to follow Maximus, Fidella, and Fancy. Stelle nuzzled him before going with them, trotting a little to catch up; he watched them go with a look so reminiscent of a lost puppy that Cassandra actually felt a little sorry for him.

She shook it away, though. Kid needed to learn to look out for himself.

When the animals had left, Matthews stepped aside and opened the door for them to enter. Eugene and Lance hurried inside, Varian on their heels; Rapunzel stopped to give Matthews a beaming smile and a thank-you, and Cassandra took up the rear without making eye contact at all.

The inside was even stranger than the outside. The house, it seemed, had actually been constructed like a model of a conch shell; the base was a wide and airy room with an open fireplace in the center, with a door off to the other side and twin staircases spiraling upward to what Cassandra assumed were private rooms.

“Wow,” Rapunzel breathed, pushing past Eugene and Lance. She stared up at the ceiling, spinning around as she took in the house. “This place is amazing!”

“It iz, yes,” Matthews clasped his hands behind his back, straight and proper as his boots clacked across the floor. He gestured for them to follow as he started up the staircase; after a second, they did, but Cassandra still stayed behind all of them. The more she could see, the better. “But, zo are pockets. You can put anyzhing in one. Zo long az it’s zmaller zhan ze pocket itzelf. You know, I like to put my hands in mine.”

“Riiiight,” Eugene drawled out, brow raising.

Rapunzel cut back in before Matthews could respond, gesturing to a few scallop-shell decorations on the stair railing. “So I couldn’t help but notice-- this house, it’s all made of shells?”

“I zee you’ve noticed,” Matthews smiled over his shoulder at Rapunzel as they finally stepped onto the second floor of the house. “Let me guess, you muzt be ze genius of ze group, oui?”

Rapunzel tilted her head, and Cassandra almost laughed at the innocence on her face. Wow, the Princess really didn’t know anything about sarcasm, did she…? “No, I think that title goes to Varian. But thank you!”

Matthews blinked a few times before dismissing it. “ _Mais_ , indeed, a large shell _maison_ in ze middle of ze forest doezn’t zeem to belong, but… zhen again, neizer do you. And yet, here you are!” He clasped his hands, smiling brightly. “Zhere are refreshments in ze lounge and rooms enough for all of you.”

Rapunzel gave him another one of her beaming smiles, even as Eugene wrapped an arm around her and pulled her back an inch from the man. Lance and Varian had already begun exploring the new place, Lance with a little more excitement and Varian looking like a scared animal scoping out potential dangers, but Cassandra shared Eugene’s opinion: they needed to look after Rapunzel, especially at first. “Thank you so much, Mr. Matthews, for letting us stay… um, but what is this place, exactly?”

Matthews smiled a bit wider, arms going up in a flamboyant gesture. “It’z called… ze ‘Ouse of Yesterday’s Tomorrow.” As he spoke, Lance and Varian rejoined the group; the second Eugene moved away from Rapunzel, Varian took his place, almost seeming to hide behind the princess. 

“Yesterday’s Tomorrow,” Rapunzel said dreamily, looking around. “So… today?”

He chuckled. “I never use one word where two will do. Right, correct?”

She glanced back at the others for a second before returning to Matthews. “Uh… sure? I guess?”

“Ohoho, you are just milking it now.” He nodded to the doors behind him. “‘Ere are ze guest bedrooms. Please, enjoy your stay… ‘owever long zat may be.”

He strode back out of the room, descending the staircase with the faint clacking of heels on the floor.

“Well,” Lance started. “He seems nice.” 

“You mean he seems like a total creep,” Cassandra grumbled, crossing her arms and turning to Rapunzel. She tried to ignore the way Varian shuffled behind the princess, eyes falling to the ground. “This gives me Trevor vibes, Rapunzel. I don’t like it.”

“I don’t either.” Eugene’s mouth formed a hard line. “He’s way too accommodating. I have never in my life seen a guy so willing to let strangers stay in his house for free.”

“You _guys_ , I’m sure it’s fine. He welcomed us in! And besides, I don’t know about you guys, but I’m not going back in that rain. Pascal was cold as ice out there!”

“And he has _food_ ,” Lance joined in. “Let’s all just get dry and ready before dinnertime. Please?”

“Fine.” Cassandra huffed, snapping her fingers towards Rapunzel. “You and I can take one of the rooms. Eugene, Lance, and Varian can take the other. Let’s get cleaned up.”

  
  


_______

  
  


Varian huddled into the corner, toes digging into the soft bedcovers.

Eugene and Lance were talking about something… Matthews, probably. That guy had rubbed Varian the wrong way, but he hadn’t felt brave enough to say anything when Cassandra and Eugene were making their case. Besides, it wasn’t like his voice would’ve mattered, anyway… he’d just be repeating what they said.

He heaved a sigh, fingers instinctively going for Ruddiger’s fur-- but they only met air beside him. Right. Ruddiger wasn’t here.

His mind turned to the sketchbook beside him, with its already-worn cover, but… he’d been sketching in it nonstop until the rain hit. He’d nearly hit the middle point already, and he didn’t want to rush through the rest of it. He couldn’t take it for granted; they wouldn’t be able to find another one any time soon.

Varian cast a glance to Eugene and Lance. They wouldn’t care if he just… slipped away for a second, would they? He didn’t think so. Eugene was combing his hair and Lance was… singing in the mirror? Whatever, they were both busy and not paying him any attention.

Varian rose from the bed and slid out the door.

The hallway was nice and quiet. He’d seen all the elegant decorations and strange knickknacks earlier, but being out here alone had a… a calming feel, he decided. He was used to being alone after so many years of burrowing into his lab back at home, so being stuck with so many people for so long had had more of an impact than he’d realized. He loved being with them, there wasn’t any doubt about that, but… he’d been so scared to be himself, recently. So scared to be Varian.

He frowned as he stepped up to a mirror hanging at the end of the hallway. He looked _terrible_. Varian had never been pale, but the lack of restful sleep had made his cheeks lose their usual rosy tint, and his freckles were growing fainter. Deep black circles hung around his eyes, and his face almost seemed sharper around the edges… though maybe that was just age. It had been a while since he last saw his reflection, after all… wouldn’t he be turning fifteen soon? Probably?

Varian sighed deeply, pressing a palm over the mirror’s surface. “What’s wrong with you?” he asked his reflection, barely more than a whisper. “Why can’t you just recover from this? Be the same as before?”

He stared for a few seconds before turning away, head hanging.

Something caught his wrist, and ice plunged through his stomach.

  
  


________

  
  


A few hours later, Rapunzel set down her fork with a quiet _clink._ “Cass, I don’t want to be rude! I really don’t! But, I mean, Mr. Matthews has been nothing but nice to us.”

Cassandra frowned as she stabbed her own fork into her food. “I don’t care how nice he’s been. You snuck out of our room and went to explore by yourself while I wasn’t looking. What if he did have ulterior motives, huh? What if he was just waiting to catch one of us alone?”

“Cass.” Eugene finally spoke up. He’d had about enough of Cassandra being sour. “Look, I’m just as wary as you are. But you gotta understand that Sunshine isn’t used to the world. And the guy is nice enough, despite being French.”

“What’s French got to do with anything?” Lance raised a brow, swallowing a mouthful of turkey leg.

“They’re too generous. They’re up to something.” Eugene shook his head. “But never mind my conspiracy theories. _This_ guy is weird and I'm definitely keeping an eye on him, but he hasn’t done anything yet. There's no reason to be upset at Rapunzel for wanting to see the best in people.”

“Doesn’t mean he's not planning to do anything,” Cassandra huffed, eyes narrowing as they fell on the empty chair between Rapunzel and Lance. “...Where’s Varian?”

“Right here!”

They all turned at the chipper voice, watching as Varian strolled into the room. He flashed them a huge grin as he slid into the open chair and reached for a platter in the center of the table. “Sorry I’m late. Polishing my goggles, heh.”

“No...no problem, Varian,” Rapunzel smiled, looking a little unsure, and Eugene caught Cassandra giving him a weird look. 

He cleared his throat, turning his eyes to the boy. “You’re pretty upbeat this evening.”

Varian seemed to falter for a second before straightening his back. “Uh, yeah, haha! I’m feeling pretty good. Um, I was just… just a little down earlier. But it’s all good now.”

Okay, yeah. Something was definitely not right here. Eugene considered talking to Cassandra, but, well… she wasn’t the best person to go to about these types of things, and Lance struggled with his own emotions. He caught Rapunzel’s eye, flicking his chin towards the staircase. _We need to talk._

When they both managed to slip away, she clasped her hands in front of her. “What is it, Eugene?”

He let out a tense breath. “Okay, so… you know Varian pretty well, right? He likes you.”

She smiled, brushing a lock of hair back. “Aw, well, I hope so! I hope everyone likes me, you know? I like them a lot for sure.”

He felt a smile touch his lips, but he shook it away. “Anyway, he’s being _really_ weird. You noticed it too, right? I mean, you especially haven’t seen him act like that-- the first time you two met was after Cass blew up on him for the first time, and it’s been even worse since that time after we visited that scammer lady.”

Rapunzel blinked a few times, then frowned. “You’re right. He’s being really cheery… do you think he’s covering something up? Did something happen in your room?”

“Not that I know of? I mean, he was dead silent, but that’s normal for him these days…” Movement caught Eugene’s eye, and he hissed under his breath. “Here he comes! Quick, uh-- in here!”

They ducked into an armoire just in time. Varian strode past them, hands clasped behind his back. There was something off about the way he walked, a smooth and unhurried confidence that made alarms go off in Eugene’s mind. Nothing about this was right…

He stopped in front of the mirror when footsteps clicked up the stairs after him. “Hey! Wait up, kid!”

“Cassandra,” he greeted pleasantly, a strange little smile curving his lips that made Eugene feel jumpy. “How are you this evening?”

“Don’t give me that.” Cassandra crossed her arms over her chest. “Where were you running off to?”

“Just checking my reflection,” Varian gestured to the mirror. “I needed some time to myself.”

“Riiiight.” Cassandra narrowed her eyes. “Listen, kid, I know we’re not on the best of terms, but you’re acting really weird, and as guard, it’s my duty to make sure everyone in this party stays safe. It’s both my job and my wish as a friend, regardless of how angry we are at one another. So… if something’s wrong, then talk.”

Varian’s smile faltered, and his brows fell. “You’re just terrible with emotions, I see. But that fits. You both look and act like a statue.”

“Excuse me?”

“Look for yourself,” he smirked up at her, and Eugene raised both brows at the snark in his voice. “Stony and emotionless.”

She shoved past him to look in the mirror, hands drifting down to her hips.

And then-- a pair of hands reached out to pull her in.

He felt Rapunzel’s hands tighten on his wrist, and he couldn’t keep his own breath from quickening. It only got worse when Cassandra stepped back out, this time with glowing red eyes and a neutral, blank expression.

“So that explains Varian,” he murmured under his breath. “...We gotta figure out what these guys want. We-- we have to get Varian and Cass back.”

“Agreed,” Rapunzel’s eyes were wide, and she’d backed up against the back of the armoire. “But we’ll have to be careful. Who knows what else those things are capable of?”

Eugene nodded, glancing up at the ceiling. “...Maybe we won’t even have to fight them. You see that chandelier?”

Rapunzel’s eyes traveled up to where he was looking, and she nodded.

“They’re about to walk under it.” He looked around the bottom of the armoire, snatching up a few fancy-looking towels. He could wind them up and tie them, in a pinch. “Tug it down on them and I’ll rush out and tie ‘em up. Lance and I used to do this all the time.”

“Gotcha.” Rapunzel reached to let her hair out of the ties they’d put it in together, and it fell in a golden waterfall to their feet. “Tell me when.”

“Right…” Eugene counted the seconds, watched their footfalls… “Now!”

It was seamless. As soon as the chandelier fell-- to a surprising lack of shouting or pained curses-- he leapt from their hiding place, wrapping up their wrists and ankles in record speed. Not-Cassandra was a little bit of a challenge, but Not-Varian was easy; his limbs were twig-thin and it only took a few knots to secure them in place.

“Alright,” he said as he stood, dusting off his hands. Not-Varian hissed at him, and he was pretty sure Not-Cassandra was saying something nasty, but her face was pressed to the ground, so he couldn’t hear it. “We gotta cart these two into the dining room for Lance to see…”

He paused. Right-- Rapunzel was still pretty weak, even this long after her captivity. “Um, I’ll get it, Sunshi--”

She cut him off before he could finish, reaching down to lift Not-Varian over her shoulder. “Hm?”

“Oh. Uh.” He scratched his chin. “Never mind, then. I guess… I guess Varian’s lighter than we thought. I’ll get Cass.”

“Not Cass,” Rapunzel reminded him, looking down at the mirror double with disgust. “I don’t know what these things are, but they’re not our friends.”

“...Yeah.” Eugene glanced back at the mirror. Their friends were lost somewhere else… “You’re right.”

They had a lot of brainstorming to do.

  
  


_______

  
  


When they finally got back into the dining room, Lance’s jaw dropped. “Woah! What happened? Everyone leaves me alone and then you come back with Cass and Varian all tied up?”

“Not Cass, not Varian, long story,” Eugene huffed as he rolled Not-Cassandra onto the ground. She broke out in a round of filthy language again, but he ignored her. “Why’d you get the good one, Sunshine?”

“Lucky, I guess,” she laughed lightly as she set Not-Varian down beside Not-Cassandra. “But yeah. You know that mirror by our rooms? We saw Cassandra get pulled into it, and then… _this_ thing came out. See their eyes?”

Lance’s brows shot up as he walked around the table to approach them. “Oh. Yeah, uh, that isn’t Cass. Or Varian.”

“I don’t really know how to explain it, but hey, not the weirdest thing we’ve seen on this trip,” Eugene laughed, a little hysterically. “We just need to figure out how to get these weirdos back into the mirror and get our friends _out_ of it.”

“...Wait a second.” Lance raised his finger at Eugene, then at Rapunzel. “If there are impostors running around, then how do I know you two are the real deal?”

Rapunzel and Eugene shared a glance, frowning, and he turned back to Lance. “Well… I mean, we could ask each other questions? Like… okay, Lance, what was the first thing you ever stole?”

“Mr. Johanssen’s fancy loafers,” he responded automatically, grinning. “And yours was Mama Julie’s comb.”

“What were our names for the Stabbingtons?”

“Patchy and Burnsy, obviously.”

“Favorite thing we nabbed from the Baron.”

“Stalyan _._ ”

Eugene clenched his jaw, narrowing his eyes as Lance laughed. “Yep, you’re you. Who’s next?”

“Oh! Oh! I’ll go!” Rapunzel smiled. “Where did we meet?”

Eugene raised a brow. “Uh, the tower?”

“Okay, um… what’s your favorite color?”

“Gold.”

“Favorite food!”

“Pancakes.” Eugene frowned. “Not to be mean, Blondie, but those are some pretty generic questions. I don't think I've ever even told you the answers to those last two.”

“Yeah, they don’t prove much,” Lance crossed his arms. “How about this one: what’s my favorite Flynn Rider book, and what’s yours?”

“ _A Tale of Two Rogues,_ and _Final Duel_.”

“Favorite tart flavor.”

“Cherry. Duh.”

“Gimme a smolder.”

Eugene complied with ease, turning around to Rapunzel as he did so. It was mostly a joke; his eye probably didn’t help it much, and she was notoriously unaffected by his good looks--

Except that she was swooning?

Eugene’s smolder fell, and he frowned, brows drawing in. “Uh, Sunshine? You feeling okay?”

“Hm? Oh! Yeah! Just peachy!” Rapunzel giggled, going from crossing her arms to wringing her hands and back again. “It’s just, uh, who could _not_ be a little caught off guard by that look, right?”

Eugene traded a look with Lance, backing up a few steps. His stomach did a few flips as he looked around. “Where’s the frog?”

“Frog?” Rapunzel frowned, then her eyes widened a little. “Oh! Right! I have a… a pet frog! Mhm! He must be around here somewhere, probably wanted to go play in the rain, you know how frogs are…”

Eugene’s frown deepened, and he clasped his hands behind his back, flashing Lance a signal. HIs friend nodded, beginning to inch around them, and Eugene studied Rapunzel’s face. “Blondie, you’re acting really weird.”

“Am I?” Rapunzel laughed again, but it was nervous. “Must be this house. It’s really strange, you know?”

“Uh-huh.” Eugene tried not to look as Lance slowly made his way to behind Rapunzel, reaching for her hair. “Tell me, Sunshine, when did I tell you my real name?”

“Uh.” Rapunzel’s eyes traveled the room, looking everywhere but at Eugene. “When… on… on our second date?”

Eugene gave a small nod, both to himself and to Lance. “This isn’t Rapunzel.”

He shouldn’t have said anything. As soon as she realized she’d been caught, Not-Rapunzel’s eyes lit up crimson, and she yanked her hair off the ground to launch it at Lance. He rolled just in time, but that hadn’t been her only plan; they both watched in horror as thick, glistening black claws grew over her fingernails, and her face twisted into something monstrous and inhuman and _definitely not Rapunzel._

“Fine, fine, you caught me,” she hissed, the corners of her mouth pulling so far up that he could see her back teeth. “But I went for a while, eh?”

Eugene shook his head. “When did Sunshine--?”

“Your princess was the first to sneak out of her room. The boy came second.” Not-Rapunzel straightened; her pose was casual, but Eugene could see how she was just waiting to strike. A coiled snake. “All torn up about her scars and how thin she is… you really should talk about these things.”

Then she raised her claws. “As soon as you get into the mirror.”

She leapt towards Eugene.

  
  


________

  
  


“C’mon! Push! We can do this!”

“I don’t know,” Cassandra grunted at her side. “It’s not giving! At all!”

“Well, we just have to make it!”

“But what if we can’t?”

“Such a quitter attitude!”

“Me, a quitter?” Cassandra gave a short, barking laugh as she backed up, pointing to a corner. “I’m not the quitter here. If anyone is, it’s Varian.”

Rapunzel’s eyes fell on the boy in the corner, knees pulled up to his chest and face hidden under a mop of black hair. She heaved a deep breath, finally stepping away from the mirror’s surface. “He tried to help me for hours, Cass. You just fell in and-- and I guess he was done by then.”

“Really now? So he finally decides to quit now that you have extra help?” Cassandra’s words dripped with incredulous disdain. “Look, Raps, the kid’s a lost cause. All he does is mope all day, every day.”

“He does not just _mope_ ,” Rapunzel’s hands drifted down to her hips, and she moved between Cassandra and Varian. “He’s the reason we were able to bring Eugene back, remember? And he led us to this place through the rain!”

“So the kid has _some_ motivation, but look at him! He’s so busy feeling sorry for himself that he’s not even helping us out of here!”

Varian flinched visibly, and Rapunzel tilted her head. “You don’t really mean that, Cass.”

“Maybe I do! I mean, being _nice_ hasn’t helped, _ignoring_ him hasn’t helped, opening up about my feelings hasn’t helped-- I don’t know what else to do! He’s just… shut down and won’t let us in!”

“Well, shouting won’t fix anything,” Rapunzel tried again. Her own chest was constricting under the flood of harsh words, but-- they weren’t at her, they were at Varian, and she had to stand up for him. “Have you ever just tried to _talk_? Not have a one-sided yelling match?”  
Cassandra glared at her for a few moments, the silence stretching and thickening between them. Finally she shook her head and turned back to the mirror. “Whatever. You can stick up for the kid if you want. Right now, we need to be focusing on getting out of here.”

Rapunzel didn’t know what to say to that. She cast a look over her shoulder, pity weighing down on her like a lead weight as she sighed. Varian just… needed someone to talk to.

But Cassandra was right in one regard-- they didn’t have time to talk. This was serious.

She nodded to herself and turned back towards the mirror, running at it with everything she had. Her shoulder met the mirror’s surface with a dull thunk, and she puffed out a pained breath as Cassandra took another turn.

She’d talk to him when they got out. Until then… she’d try her best to help.

  
  


________

  
  


Lance sucked in a breath through his teeth, finally tucking the mirror under his arm. He could hear Not-Rapunzel and Eugene fighting downstairs; he had to be quick. Their plan was half-baked and more full of holes than a piece of Swiss cheese, but it was the only one they had.

He shot down the stairs, skidding to a stop just in time to watch as Not-Rapunzel slung Eugene into the wall. She cackled, high-pitched and raspy, as if a snake could talk. “Not as strong as you look, huh, pretty boy?”

“I see you’ve noticed my flawless figure,” he grunted, using the wall as support as he shakily rose. His eyes flicked to Lance for just a second before turning back on Not-Rapunzel-- though they looked kind of unfocused. Lance didn’t want to think about how much his vision must’ve been screwing up.

“I’ve noticed a lot more than that.” She grinned as she prowled closer, black claws glittering. “You’ll make a good double, once we get you into that mirror.”

“Eh, yeah, well, it’ll never be as good as the original.” Eugene smiled right back, and Lance tiptoed closer, raising the mirror above his head. “After all, my smolder swept a mirror-monster off her feet.”

Her brows furrowed. “That wasn’t-- that’s not what happened!”

“Wanna bet?” Eugene turned to him. “Lance! NOW!”

He dove forward, boot sweeping towards Not-Rapunzel’s feet and knocking her off balance. She careened to the floor, shouting at the top of her lungs and yet still managing an enraged hiss--

Lance slid the mirror under her just before she hit the ground, and a few seconds later, a pair of hands reached up to tug on the double’s thick rope of hair.

“Lance!” Eugene shouted, panting as he stood back up. “Not-Varian and Not-Cass!”

They shared a nod, leaving Not-Rapunzel to her fate.

When they ran back, Lance with Not-Cassandra and Eugene with Not-Varian, Rapunzel was finally struggling to her feet outside the mirror. Her big green eyes widened when she caught sight of them, and she stepped aside as they rolled their captives onto the mirror’s surface; seconds later, their last two friends were crawling out as well, pushing their doubles under the mirror’s silvery surface.

The five of them sat in a circle around the mirror for several minutes, listening to the pounding of fists and muffled yelling from the other side. Eventually, Eugene stood, taking the mirror over his shoulder and disappearing up the stairs.

When he came back, he leaned against the stair rails, one hand on his hip. “So! All who vote to leave and never come back to this place again?”

Lance was about to answer when a nasally laugh interrupted them. “Going zo zoon?”

“You!” Cassandra snarled, left hand going for the hilt of her sword as she stood. “What’s going on in this place!? Were you trying to get us killed?”

“Oh, I zee. You muzt ‘ave zeen ze people in ze mirror, oui?” Matthews smiled good-naturedly, bending down to reach for a poker and stoke the fireplace. “ _Je suis très désolé, mes amis._ I forget zat ze travelers, zey are not used to ze magic of zis ‘ouse. I must warn you zat, while you are welcome to ztay az long az you wish, you must be aware of ze dangers you may face. I am a collector of rare and magical artifacts, _vous savez,_ and not all of zem are for ze faint of heart, oui?”

“It’s still storming outside,” Varian spoke up, his voice low and timid. “There’s no way we’re going anywhere in that.”

Cassandra frowned, crossing her arms and facing Matthews with narrowed eyes. “Fine. But we’re taking shifts, and we’re sleeping down here, together. I’ll take first watch.”

“Whatever makes you comfortable, _ma cherie._ I open my ‘ouse to you, and if you wish to zleep on ze floor, well-- who am I to ztop you?” Matthews shrugged. “ _Bonne nuit, mes amis._ Zee you all _en matin_.”

Cassandra didn’t move until he left.

  
  


_______

  
  


Rapunzel dropped beside Varian, a soft, hopeful smile on her face as she settled into the blankets. “Hey, Varian! You doing okay?”

He started, eyes going wide and frame tensing when she spoke. For once, he didn’t have his gloves on, so she could see his white-knuckled grip on the pencil he was using to sketch in his book. She didn’t let it show, but her heart twisted; it reminded her too much of when she had to find a way to hide her paintings when she heard Gothel’s shrill voice from the base of the tower.

When he realized who it was a second later, though, the tension spilled out, leaving behind slumped shoulders and a halfhearted smile. “Um, hi, Rapunzel. I’m… I’m okay.”

“You sure?” Rapunzel looked over her shoulder. Everyone else was sleeping; they’d supposed to have been taking watches, but Lance fell asleep on his, and nothing had bothered them for the past two hours. “Because you haven’t even been trying to nap.”

He shrugged. “Haven’t been able to sleep for a while. I’m kinda used to it by now.”

Rapunzel tilted her head. “Insomnia?”

“You could… you could say that.” He peered up at her from over his book; with every passing second, she could feel him growing a little calmer, a little more open. “I know I should get over it. I’m not much help like this. But… I-- I get these terrible dreams, and everything she says is always what I’ve been telling myself since I ruined her hand. And I barely have the energy to get up in the morning anymore… much less pretend to be cheerful.”

“I get that,” Rapunzel leaned forward, hands folded in her lap. “Art always helped me when I was dealing with hard stuff… and I see you’ve been using the sketchbook?”

Varian blinked, then finally cracked a real smile. “Oh, um, right. I-I told you I’d show you when I got started, didn’t I?” He turned it around, and Rapunzel gasped. “It-- it isn’t finished, but, um, I’ve been working on it for three days now, and… yeah.”

“Varian,” she giggled a little. “It looks just like me!”

And she wasn’t exaggerating. It was a perfect recreation of her, from the part in her hair and the slope of her nose to the placement of her freckles. Some parts of it were still underdeveloped, still in the rough stages, but what was there was absolutely phenomenal. “I can’t believe this! I could never paint something this realistic!”

Varian scratched the back of his head, and a sliver of buck teeth showed as he smiled. “Uh, thanks, Rapunzel. But I like your style a lot more. It… it’s prettier. All I can do is copy what I see, you can-- _ah! No!_ ”

She didn’t pay attention to his protests, snatching the book and flipping through it with glee. Flawless recreations of Eugene, and Lance, and Cassandra, plenty of Ruddigers, a few Stelles, and…

Six entire pages of the same girl.

Rapunzel’s brows raised, and she cast a knowing look in Varian’s direction, giggling again when he turned red. “Is this Vex?”

He snatched it back before she could continue flipping, clutching the book to his chest. “I-- I just can’t get her features right, that’s all. Failed-- failed attempts. Experiments.”

“They all looked like the exact same person.”

“Something’s off.”

 _“It looked exactly like her._ ”

“I--” Varian shoved the book under his pillow, almost too fast for Rapunzel to see. “Never mind about that!”

“Fine, fine, I won’t push any more.” Rapunzel still smiled, though. “My point still stands, though. Your drawings are fantastic.”

He looked for a second as if he wanted to argue, but finally his lips melted into a warm grin. “Thanks.”

“Of course, Varian.” She reached out to lay a hand on his shoulder. “Look, I know I’m still learning about how the world works, and maybe I don’t know you quite as well as Eugene or Lance or Cass do, but… if you ever need to talk, I’m here, okay? I’ll listen.”

He was silent for a moment, just staring up at her, when she realized there were tears brimming in his eyes. Panic filled her as she pulled back, hand hovering between them. “I’m sorry, did I say something wrong? Oh, Varian, I-- I didn’t mean to--”

He shot forward to grab her in a hug. “T-thanks, Rapunzel.”

She relaxed, lips quirking up at the corners, and hugged him back. “Any time, Varian.”

Maybe she had learned something out here, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise something's going to come out of all of this tension. It's not just being played out for the heck of it, LOL.
> 
> Also, I don't remember Matthews being as random as he was? I guess he gets a pass because he's an eccentric hermit, but I didn't remember a lot of his lines until I rewatched the episode xD I like him, though. Definitely my favorite of the disciples.
> 
> Anyway, my plans for next chapter have changed /drastically/ from what they had been prior to this one. Reading through all the comments gave me some ideas, and then I have a few plans that deviate from that... I think you're going to like what I have in mind, though. I hope so anyway, haha.
> 
> If anyone has any suggestions or requests to make, either for this next chapter or at any other point in the fic, just let me know!! I love hearing from you guys, and I check every single comment. No guarantee that I'll follow what you send me, but if I like an idea, there's a good chance I'll use it later, so don't be shy! ^.^
> 
> Regardless, have a good week, and see you next time! <3


	13. Bitter Recollections

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The party wakes up ready to leave the House of Yesterday's Tomorrows, but their plans are cut short when they realize that the exit has disappeared. There's only one option: they must explore the House for any way out.
> 
> ______

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So-- finally on to You're Kidding Me!
> 
> I ended up having to split this episode into two chapters due to a few things-- one, I had a few concepts I wanted to include before all the drama starts up, and two, I had a perplexing amount of trouble building up to them actually /finding/ the top, so it took a bit longer to write than usual. It's still the usual 3k though!
> 
> Anyway-- I read and deliberated every single comment related to this chapter, and after heavy consideration, I think I found a plot that would contribute both to the main story and give an enjoyable chapter. It's a lot different than what I originally had planned, but I got a few surprise ideas and /had/ to set up for them, so-- hopefully you like what I decided on!
> 
> Hope you enjoy! <3
> 
> ______

When Rapunzel’s eyes fluttered open, it was to warm, clear sunlight streaming through the windows.

She smiled as she sat up in her pallet, arms reaching up in a luxurious stretch, and looked over to where Pascal had curled up beside her. “Good morning, buddy!”

He blinked up at her before yawning, fading from camouflage to his normal bright green. He greeted her with a pleased chirp, glancing over to the rest of the room.

Cassandra was already awake; their eyes met, and she pushed herself off the wall, arms crossed. “You awake, Raps?”

“Yep!” Rapunzel’s smile was bright. “You know, despite the fact that we all nearly got replaced by evil doppelgangers last night, the House of Yesterday’s Tomorrow offers a pretty good night’s rest.”

“Glad you’re feeling okay this morning.” Cassandra’s words were polite, but her tone was cold and flat, and she frowned as she spoke. She moved to nudge Eugene with the tip of her boot, lips pressed together. “Hey. Eugene. Get up. We need to talk.”

“Huh?” Eugene snorted a little as he rolled over, rubbing the heels of his palms into his eyes. Immediately he flinched, blinking rapidly, and Rapunzel winced. “What is it, Cass? Why? What’s a’matter?”

“The door’s gone.”

That made him stiffen, snapping to attention, and Rapunzel felt her stomach twist. “What?”

“The door. It’s just-- gone. Has been since I woke up a few minutes ago.” Cassandra frowned, eyes flicking to where the door had been just last night. She was right; there was nothing there but empty salmon-pink wall. “I’ve tried everything-- even kicking through it. I’m surprised I didn’t wake all of you up.”

“We haven’t had a good night’s sleep in weeks,” Eugene sounded distracted. “I… I don’t get it. How is the door just _gone_?”

Cassandra shrugged. “Dunno. But I can’t find any other way out, either. We’re stuck.”

“Who’s stuck?” Lance’s bleary voice made them all look towards him. He stretched, letting out a long, loud yawn; Varian stirred when he bumped him. “What’s goin’ on?”

“ _We’re_ stuck,” Rapunzel answered for Cassandra. “There’s… no way out.”

And then, suddenly, it hit her. 

The world blurred, her vision going dark around the edges, and something hot and heavy settled onto her chest. Lead filled her lungs and ice ran through her veins; the walls were closing in and she was no longer on the ground. She was stuck in here, with no way out, confined to this little house with no way out and no hope of escape--

_And Mother was there, glaring down at her mess of a painting--_

_Darkness, cold stone, shrill laughter, soft voices--_

_Green glowing vines, dark energy flowing into her, haunting words that sang of death and decay--_

There was another voice. Several. They were all soft and kind, but then _hers had been too, sometimes._ Then there were fingers, a soft grip on her arm, and she cried out and pushed away, stumbling back; pain lanced up her spine as she hit the floor--

Pascal was on her chest, his scales a pale bone white as he chirped and waved a foot in her face--

“Sunshine,” Eugene’s voice finally cut through, and she blinked away a film of tears that had formed over her eyes. He looked helpless, hands outstretched as if reaching after her. Cassandra and Lance and Varian-- he was awake? Had she woken him up?-- all looked at her too, their faces a mix of shock and pity, upturned brows and frowns. 

_Did I do that? Did I make them worry? That wasn’t good, I shouldn’t be so selfish, Mother shouldn’t have to deal with me, be happy, sadness helps no one--_

“Eugene,” she managed, her voice cracking, and reached out to him.

She didn’t back away from the hug this time.

The world came back into focus slowly. Her heart still beat all too fast and her breaths came out ragged, but she could make out the feeling of Eugene’s arms around her, of his calm, even breathing, of the soft _Sunshine_ he whispered against her ear every few seconds. Pascal’s weight was small but comforting in the crook of her neck, a little warm spot that helped her ground herself.

When she finally pushed away-- not out of his reach but enough to see over his shoulder-- she reached up to wipe at her eyes. “I’m sorry, I just-- I don’t know what happened. I thought about that cave back at the Great Tree and suddenly-- suddenly I couldn’t think of anything else…”

Cassandra, for once, regarded her with a soft expression as she approached. She didn’t reach out, probably still wary-- Rapunzel had freaked out when Eugene tried to touch her at first, after all-- but she did drop to a squat beside them, head tilting and lips in a tiny frown. “You’re okay, Raps. We’re all here for you.”

“I second that,” Lance grinned, but it wasn’t as wide as usual, and his dark eyes were warm. “We’re here for you, Prin-- um, Rapunzel.”

“All of us,” Varian added, to a measured amount of surprise from the whole room. He was still a little timid, but his face was set and determined. “So-- so it’s okay, Rapunzel. And we’ll get out of here, no problem.”

“Kid’s right.” Cassandra finally reached out to touch her arm, and Rapunzel met her eyes. “Let’s all go find a way out of here, yeah? There’s sure to be another exit somewhere.”

“...You're right,” Rapunzel finally let out a breath. "Let's get out of here. As fast as possible."

Eugene shivered, though just enough that Rapunzel could feel it. “Yeah, but we stay together, okay? Let’s _not_ go wandering this house alone anymore. Last thing we need is another round of doppelgangers, or whatever else might be lurking around.”

“Agreed.” Cassandra stood, turning to Lance and Varian. “We’ll start in the lower floor, then move to the halls upstairs. I don’t know how far up this thing goes, but we’ll search it all if we have to.”

“Yes ma’am,” Lance saluted, laying a hand on Varian’s shoulder. “We’ll go in first. You and Eugene guard Rapunzel.”

“Guys, I don’t think anyone’s going to attack us,” Rapunzel said as she pushed herself to her feet. “I mean, as long as we don’t go looking into any crazy mirrors. Matthews surely isn’t going to do anything… um, wherever he is.”

“We can’t be sure of anything, Raps.”

“Cass is right,” Eugene let her go with a little reluctance; she assumed he was trying to give her space, but honestly, she wished he’d stay by her. He made her feel safe. “I don’t trust this place. We’re going to have to watch each other’s backs. And that Matthews guy-- there’s something _off_ about him.”

From behind the fireplace, unseen by the group, Matthews snickered.

They had no idea.

  
  


_______

  
  


Varian stared into the dark abyss. It was deep, never-ending, a void that swallowed light and air and perhaps even time itself. Even as he watched, dust motes fell into the blackness, winking out as soon as they fell more than a few meters in.

He swung the door closed, turning back to the group. “Not it!”

“No luck over here either,” Eugene called from the end of the hall, holding up some kind of stuffy-looking dress with an apron. “How, and _why,_ does one lonely guy in the middle of nowhere have an endless closet full of maid apparel?”

Lance held up a finger, and Eugene narrowed his eyes. The glare was intense enough to make him shut up even from the other side of the hall. “Do _not_ answer that.”

“Nothing on my end,” Cassandra’s head popped up from beyond the hall. “It’s like a maze in here.”

“And none of it makes any sense,” Varian sighed deeply, rubbing a hand over his eyes. They hurt a little when he touched them, and it felt like his eyelids were made of sandpaper. “After all of this, someone could tell me that unicorns existed and I’d believe them without a second thought.”

“...Wait a second.” Eugene’s brows knit, and he swept his eyes over the hall. “Where’s Sunshine?”

Cassandra bit her lip, glancing back where she’d come. “I thought she came back here with you guys?”

He could _feel_ the chill that swept through the air at that. Varian’s eyes went round as saucers, and Lance’s ever-present smile evaporated. Eugene’s jaw set, and he backed away from the door, trying to push back the rising panic in his throat. “Where’d you see her last?”

“The next hall. She was looking through the doors, and I turned my back for one second--” Cassandra ran both hands through her hair. “She must’ve gone into one of the rooms…”

She snapped her eyes up to them. “I might have an idea. Follow me!”

  
  


_______

  
  


Rapunzel was in a fantasy land.

Stuffed toys, dolls, building blocks, tops, fingerpaints. Everything a child could ever want, all stuffed into one room-- everything she’d ever read about, asked her mother for, and never gotten. Even Pascal was wonderstruck, his eyes wide as he took in the sights and scales flickering to a million different colors.

She practically dove into the mountains of toys, feeling lighter than ever before. Laughter bubbled up from within her, and whatever sour taste had been left over from earlier melted away as she waded through a pile of teddy bears.

Rapunzel knew, in the back of her mind, that she probably should’ve told her friends before she went running off in here. But she’d seen all the bright colors, all the wonders and joys of things she’d never had before, and… and logic had fled. They could go without her for a few minutes, right?

_“RAPUNZEL!”_

Okay, maybe not.

She stood up, trying to shake the glitter from her hair-- how had it gotten in there?-- and searched the room. They weren’t hard to pick out, with their drab travel clothes and noisy boots; when Rapunzel spotted the group, she waved with a sheepish smile. “Over here, you guys!”

She didn’t meet their eyes as she picked her way back to the center of the room, but the relief in their voices made a twinge of guilt go through her. When she eventually reached them, she could tell that Cassandra was holding back from chastising, and Eugene was trying not to grab her up in a hug again; Varian and Lance were hidden from view behind the other two, but she could imagine that they were similarly unsettled. The joy that had just been glowing inside her deflated, and she shrunk, shoulders drawing in. “Sorry, you guys. I…”

“It’s okay, Sunshine. Promise.” Eugene sighed, running a hand down his face. “This place is just really dangerous. We need to stick together.”

She swallowed. “I… I know. Sorry.”

Cassandra was the first to back away a few steps, looking around the room and letting out a low whistle. “He’s got quite the hoard going.”

“I’ll say!” Lance’s voice drew their attention to a few paces away, where he was already elbow-deep in a pile of toys. When he pulled back, he had a wooden sword in each hand, painted garish reds and blues that almost matched the intensity of his grin. “Cass! Catch!”

Cassandra snatched the blue sword fluidly, twirling it around in her left hand and raising a brow. “You know we have _actual_ swords, right?”

“Yeah, but these are toys. They don’t hurt.” Lance spun on Varian, gently swinging his into Varian’s side and ignoring the subsequent yelp and dirty look. “See?”

It was as if someone had flipped a switch. Cassandra’s lips pulled into a thin, crescent smile, and her dark eyes glittered. “Are you sure about that? Hey, Flynn Rider, come help me show these miscreants who’s boss.”

Despite his earlier tension, Eugene’s grin stretched wide enough to rival Lance’s. “Harriet, darling, I think I’ll take up Lord Strongbow’s side in this one.”

Rapunzel drew her hands up to her chest as she watched the three of them devolve into chaos, flinching a little when Eugene dug out an acid-green sword to slam against Cassandra’s. She held her own against the two of them, and quite well, but it was only a matter of time before one of them caught an opening.

She glanced to Varian, who’d drifted over to stand by her. “Why don’t you go help Cass?”

He gulped, eyes snapping down to the floor. “I-- she’s fine on her own. Besides, they’re… they’re having fun.”

“So? They could be having fun with you.” Rapunzel shot him a warm smile when he looked up, nudging his shoulder. Pascal chirped down at him affirmatively, tail bobbing up. “We’ve been under too much stress lately. Just go join in.”

“Are you… are you sure? Cassandra won’t be angry…?”

Rapunzel glanced again to the fight, to the joyous gleam in Cassandra’s eyes. “I’m certain.”

Varian took a deep breath. It took several seconds for him to move; Rapunzel almost nudged him again, thinking he wouldn’t go through with it, before he took a step forward. And then another, and another.

She couldn’t make out what they were saying, but Rapunzel could see the look on Cassandra’s face. Surprise, a little uncertainty, maybe a little trace of disgust at first-- but then it melted away and she passed him a small yellow sword, and he turned around to watch her back.

For several minutes, Rapunzel watched it all with a smile.

And then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw the top.

  
  


_______

  
  


Ruddiger heaved a deep, heavy sigh as he batted at the puddle. The sun had risen hours ago, but it seemed the humans had little desire to come out and see them. The strange accented man was starting to get on Ruddiger’s last nerve-- why couldn’t he go in and see Varian? He didn’t _shed_! Not much, anyway. At least... he thought not.

_“You’re getting mud in your fur.”_

Ruddiger pulled his soaked paw out, watching as brown water dripped from the tips of his claws. _“Does it matter? You all have mud on your hooves.”_

Fidella gave a derisive snuff. " _Which is why we have shoes on them. You have no such thing to keep your fur from matting.”_

 _“What does a pampered palace animal like you know?”_ Stelle stepped up in front of him, eyes narrowing at Fidella over Ruddiger’s head. _“Stop scolding him.”_

 _“Someone has to keep you all in line, and Maximus is too focused on his apples right now.”_ Fidella rolled her eyes. _“For all his virtues, he is easily distracted.”_

 _“There’s nothing to focus on right now,”_ Ruddiger chittered, standing up and giving himself a thorough shake. _“I’ve looked at the walls of this stable for so long that I’ll never be able to banish the sight of sprucewood from my mind.”_

_“You could join Fancy outside.”_

_“Didn’t you just scold me for playing in a mud puddle? Have you_ seen _outside this morning?”_

Stelle finally circled around to step between them. _“Let’s not fight. I’m sure our humans will come soon. The strange man surely won’t keep them much longer.”_

 _“Perhaps not…”_ Fidella glanced over her shoulder to where Maximus was nosing through a burlap sack that they’d found to contain apples earlier that morning. _“It is not yet noon, after all. And the humans have not slept well these past few weeks.”_

With a flutter of feathers, Percival appeared atop the stable door. He took a second to pick at his wing for a moment before giving them a soft hoo. _“Your friend is coming. She looks rather distressed.”_

 _“Fancy?”_ The little wrinkle appeared on Stelle’s forehead spot. _“What’s happened? Did something spook her again?”_

 _“I think it may be more than that.”_ He tilted his head at them, round orange eyes settling on Stelle. _“Does she repeat the word ‘danger’ for minutes on end often?”_

At that moment, the stable door swung open, slinging Percival into the air with a dissatisfied hoot. Fancy didn’t seem to care; her eyes were wide and her nostrils flared as she burst into the stable. _“Danger!”_

 _“Fancy, calm yourself,”_ Fidella admonished, while Maximus clopped up next to them. _“Did you see something in the woods?”_

When Fancy shook her head, Maximus’s ears flicked forward, eyes narrowing. _“What did you see, soldier?”_

Fancy fought to calm down, though her sides still caved and rose with every breath. When she finally met their eyes, it was with a deep sense of terror, one that made dread wriggle its way into Ruddiger’s stomach.

_“The entrance disappeared. Our humans have been captured!”_

  
  


_______

  
  


Cassandra was, frankly, having the time of her life.

Sure, they were supposed to be looking for an exit-- and they would, once she beat Flynn Rider and Lord Lance Strongbow at their own game. Even one-handed and in mock combat, Cassandra was the _clear_ winner in any melee. Evidenced by the fact that they were both running away.

Well, her sidekick, the Goggle Bandit, helped. Maybe just a little.

She flashed Varian a grin, all the tense memories and feelings from the last few weeks forgotten. Well-- maybe not forgotten, per se, but pushed back for now. Wartime called for desperate measures, after all.

He met her gaze with an uncertain type of exhilaration, smiling almost against his will, and she flicked her eyes to the disappearing thieves. “You take Strongbow, I’ll take Pretty Boy.”

“Deal, Cassi-- Cassandra.”

His slip almost broke the moment. Almost. Cassandra wasn’t _quite_ petty enough to let something like that distract her from a chase, though, especially not one with swords involved.

They took off into the maze of toys, jumping over spilled blocks and skidding around piles of stuffed animals. They were laughing, too, which couldn’t have been helping in their quest to track down two highly attuned thieves, but-- ah, it was all in fun. She hadn’t had a good even fight in _months._

Finally, though, they found themselves back in the center of the room, back to back but without any enemies to guard against. After a few tense moments of heavy breathing and darting glances, they turned to one another, exhilaration replaced with confusion.

“Where’d they…?” Varian panted out, lowering his sword and reaching up to raise his goggles.

“Dunno. Keep on your guard, kid.” Her eyes scanned over the room. “They’re probably waiting to surprise us. They might not be the smartest guys around, but they’re sneaky. They’ll probably jump out when we least expect--

“Hey! Give that back!”

Cassandra froze, and she felt a jolt rush through her. Was that… a _kid’s_ voice?

Varian’s low gasp a second later grabbed her attention, and they both watched as a tiny girl ran through the main room, something vivid green clenched in tiny hands and a river of gold streaming behind her across the floor. Two more kids, a slender, knobby-kneed little boy with a mess of brown hair and another chubbier boy behind him, raced behind the girl just out of her hair’s reach. The first kid raised his fist, shouting at the top of his lungs, “Harriet’s got the Treasure!”

They watched the three kids run in circles for a few seconds before slowly turning to meet one another’s eyes. Varian had gone pale, and and she saw the way his hands shook, panic making his wide blue eyes gleam. “Uh…Cassandra…?”

Cassandra let out a slow breath. “This is why we need to stick together.”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah so a lot of buildup in this chapter. I have a ton of plans for this next one though!! And I'm sorry if you wanted to see baby Cassie and baby Varian. I did too, and I totally planned on it (and said I didn't feel like them babysitting together would benefit the plot, even!), buuuut... ideas popped in my head and I figured out how to make it work in the story's favor. Ahahaha.
> 
> Anyway I hope you like what's next!! So far I have the rest of this mini-arc, then Rapunzeltopia (which is going to be intense, you guys...), then most likely a chapter dedicated to all the side stories (Quirin, the Silent Strikers, Cap, Vex and Adira), and finally Lost and Found and the finale. So! We're close!!! Ahh!!
> 
> I can't talk about too many spoilers yet, especially not big ones like the Moonstone or what's going to come of the Saporians and Quirin, but I don't mind reading theories if you have any. <3 In fact, I kind of want to see where the clues are leading, so speculate away! :D
> 
> Anyway, sorry. I've kinda word-vomited on the A/N's today. I'll leave you in peace now, lol.
> 
> Thanks for reading, as always!! <3


	14. Make the Clock Reverse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cassandra and Varian must find a way to reverse the de-aging effect of the Top of Time before their friends get stuck as children.
> 
> ________

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really liked writing this one! I've been wanting to get something like this out for a while, and I'm glad I finally hit a point where I can. Besides, writing kids is so much fun, haha!
> 
> Hope you enjoy <3
> 
> _________

Everything was quiet.

Well, perhaps for a stray giggle or two, but Rapunzel was fairly certain that Eugene’s laughter was quiet enough that Cassandra wouldn’t hear. Still, she nudged him with an elbow, careful not to upset the tower of hair she’d gathered into her lap. “Genie! Quiet!”

“Sorry,” he giggled again, feet tapping nervously. He reached to brush the messy brown hair from his eyes, turning to Lance beside him. “See anything?”

“Nope,” Lance whispered, not turning to look at them. He’d risen on his knees, the only one of them brave enough to peer over the wall of toys they’d found to hide behind. “They’re gone.”

There were a few minutes of tense silence; even Eugene’s giggles tapered off after a second, replaced with a quiet huff of frustration. “Cass is terrible at tag!”

“That’s mean,” Rapunzel admonished, crossing her arms.

“Well, it’s true.” Eugene glanced over to where Lance stood, still peering out over the toys. “Think we should make a run for it?”

“I dunno, guys,” he ran his arm across his nose, and Rapunzel caught the way he bounced back on his heels-- was he nervous? “She’s probably gonna see us again if we run…”

“Well, I’m bored.” Eugene hopped to his feet. “I’m gonna go find Varian. He’ll be easy to take down!”

Lance gasped, hands going up to his face and eyes glittering. “Are we gonna do an ambush!?”

“Ambush?” Rapunzel’s brows knit. “I thought they were it!”

“Not anymore!” Eugene turned to her, leaning down with a hand held out. His eyebrows wagged. “Will the lady be joining us?”

“Um…” Rapunzel drew her knees in, unaware of her hair toppling over to spill out onto the floor. “I-- I think I wanna paint.”

“Paint?” Lance looked over to her. “But that’s boring!”

Rapunzel flinched, and something poked at her from the depths of her mind, a memory that was less memory and more a general feeling. An icy feeling that somehow burned, coated her face with shame. _Quick, Pascal, hide, don’t let her see you…_

_Rapunzel, now look at the mess you’ve made of the walls…_

Pascal chirped from her shoulder, and she cast him a tiny smile, but the boys didn’t seem to notice. They were too wrapped up in moving around a set of little toy soldiers they’d dug out, maybe planning their ambush on Cass and Varian.

Rapunzel sighed, wiping at her eyes, and turned around to dig through the toy mountain herself. She knew there were paints here, she’d seen them when she first came in. Maybe if she could find them and take them somewhere nice and quiet and hidden, she could paint without anyone finding her…

“Ah, bonjour, _mes amis_. I zee you ‘ave found ze Top of Time, oui?”

A familiar nasally voice made Rapunzel start, while Eugene jumped back and Lance outright screamed. They looked up to see Matthews towering over them, hands clasped behind his back and lips set in an odd little smile. He looked over his shoulder, lifting a hand to the side of his mouth. “I ‘ave found _les enfants_ , _mes amis_! Zey are ‘ere!”

Cassandra came marching a few seconds later, followed by a panicked-looking Varian. The fiery look in her eyes was enough to make Rapunzel cower a little, but Lance and Eugene just shared a glance and took off.

“HEY!” Cassandra shouted. “Where do you think you’re going!?”

A chorus of “You’re it!” was all she got back as the boys disappeared yet again, and she growled under her breath.

“Ahaha, energetic little pests, oui?” Matthews laughed, a little too brightly. Something in Rapunzel’s gut, deep deep down, twisted. There was something _off_ about him.

“You think this is funny?” Cassandra spun around to face him, jabbing a finger at his chest. “Those are our friends! And they’re-- they’re _babies_!”

“Ah-ah-ah, not babies. Four or five, if I ‘ad to guess.” Matthews gestured to Rapunzel. “Zey ‘ave found ze Top of Time zomewhere in ‘ere.”

“Top of Time?” Varian finally spoke up, his voice halting. “What’s the Top of Time?”

“A magical artifact zat can rewind ze clock itzelf. A green top toy, you zee. You zpin it and-- _voila_!-- you may once again ztep into ze carefree realm of youth.”

“Yes, well, right now, the ‘realm of youth’ is a little less than carefree.” Cassandra crossed her arms, gesturing down to Rapunzel. “In case you haven’t noticed, we’re trying to get out of this prison you call a house, and we can’t do that while they’re tiny.”

“Ah, oui, ze door iz a bit mysterious zat way. It moves.” Matthews stroked his chin. “Well, I shall zay zis: ze only way to reverse ze effects iz to zpin ze top in reverse. _Mais,_ zere iz only one hour to do zo. Otherwise, ze effect will be permanent.”

Rapunzel’s understanding had begun to wane about halfway through the explanation, but Cassandra and Varian both paled. “Excuse me!? An hour!?”

“Oui. _Une heure._ But zis is no problem! Zey are _très adorable_ az children, are zey not?” Matthews took a few steps toward her, and Rapunzel froze as he scooped her up. His arms didn’t feel safe, not like Eugene’s-- the fancy fabric was scratchy on her skin, and his fingers were cold.

Cassandra seemed to understand; ice flashed in her eyes as she snatched Rapunzel from Matthews. “It is _absolutely_ a problem! We can’t take them back home like this!”

“Well, don’t look at me,” Matthews recovered smoothly, though there was a miffed edge to his tone. “Find ze top, zat is ze only way to reverse ze effects.”

A distant crash rang out from somewhere else in the room, and Rapunzel gasped, hiding her face in the crook of Cassandra’s neck. She felt a hand pat at her back and a tired, frustrated sigh by her ear. “Find the top… but we’ve got to keep a handle on those boys, too, or they’ll get themselves killed.”

“Um,” Varian’s voice drew Rapunzel’s attention, and she peeked over Cassandra’s shoulder. They locked eyes, and she saw the way he frowned-- a little unsure, but determined all the same. “I-if you can look after Eugene and Lance, then… then I’m sure Rapunzel could help me find the Top. She was the one who had it… weren’t you?”

Rapunzel finally lifted her head. “Yeah…”

Varian half-smiled, a little flickering grin that gave off a mix of certainty and nerves. “So you can help me find it, right? Retrace our steps?”

Rapunzel thought for a second. She didn’t really remember where she dropped the Treasure, but… well, Varian was nice. And besides, she wasn't supposed to tell older people 'no'; Mama always said she wasn't allowed to.

She finally returned his smile, head bobbing in a nod. “Uh-huh!”

Cassandra’s lips pulled down, and she glanced down at Rapunzel. After a few seconds’ thought-- and another distant crash-- she finally sighed. “Fine. Yes. You two go find the Top. I’ll go deal with the disaster duo over there, hopefully with Ma-- um, where’d he go?”

“He disappeared,” Varian’s brows knit. “How’d-- he was just here!”

“I really don’t trust that guy,” Cassandra grumbled as she passed Rapunzel to Varian. He stumbled a little, probably caught off-guard by the weight of her hair, before shifting her onto one hip. It was a little awkward, and Rapunzel got the feeling that she’d probably be set down soon, but-- that was okay. She was used to running around alone. “Do not take your eyes off her. Got it?”

“Got it,” Varian said, a little too quickly. “Um, meet you back here…?”

“Within the hour.” Cassandra nodded. “Good luck.”

“Yeah.” Varian winced as a voice-- Lance’s, he thought-- shouted from somewhere deep within the toy maze. “You too.”

  
  


_________

  
  


Cassandra stalked through the hall with narrowed eyes and feet of velvet. She was _sure_ she’d seen them slip out here-- hopefully not into any of the doors. Who knew what would happen if--

A smear of bright yellow fingerpaint drew her eyes to one of the doorknobs, and she groaned. Of course.

The door squeaked as it opened, and Cassandra cringed at the noise-- though it didn’t take long for her to forget about it. Her jaw dropped as she stepped into the room, gaze roving over gleaming white marble and vibrant green shrubbery. Ruddy bricks, perfectly sculpted without a single bump or crack, lined a huge crystal-clear pool of water in the very center of the room.

And in that pool were two soaked young boys, fully dressed, looking at her with pale faces.

Just as quickly as it had left, Cassandra’s resolve returned in full force, and she snarled, jabbing a finger in their direction. “You two stay _right where you are._ ”

Lance and Eugene exchanged glances, then grinned. Both of them stuck a finger up their nose, cackling, and Eugene blew a raspberry. “Fat chance! Catch us if you can, Cass- _and_ -ra!”

Cassandra ground her teeth, and she took off, shouting as they paddled over to the far side of the pool. “Fitzherbert, when we get you back to normal, I am going to knock you into next year!”

She rounded the corner just before they got out, and Lance let out a little yelp before they turned back around, arms and legs moving with freakish speed as they fought to swim back to the center of the pool. Eugene dove, wriggling through the water like a little fish; Lance tried to follow, but he stuck stubbornly to the surface, face down and legs vainly kicking up waves of water.

Cassandra balled her fists, jaw clenching so hard it hurt. “Get over here!”

“You said stay where we are!” Lance stuck his tongue out at her, and Eugene surfaced a moment later to flash her a very ugly gesture.

Cassandra growled deep in her chest, reaching back to unstrap her sheath and lay it aside. “Fine. You wanna play this game? Let’s _play_.”

She took a few running steps before diving.

  
  


_______

  
  


“Uh… do you remember this spot?”

“No.”

“What about over there?”

“Nuh-uh.”

“Did you maybe stop to paint over there?”

“With gray? Ew!”

Varian rubbed his eyes as Rapunzel made a disgusted face at the stack of gray paints. She flitted in circles around him as she explored, hair dragging behind her to make a spiral around his feet. He’d already tripped once, and he had a feeling it was going to happen again.

But he had to do this. This was his chance to prove himself... well, to start proving himself, anyway. He couldn't mess this up.

_It’s both my job and my wish as a friend, regardless of how angry we are at one another._

He hadn't been able to answer at the time; he'd been watching helplessly from the other side of a mirror as his impostor said awful things that made him feel sick. But Cassandra had said they were still friends. There was still a chance.

Pascal chirped from his shoulder, and he sighed, patting the lizard’s head. “We’ll get her back to normal, lil’ buddy. Don’t worry.”

Pascal shook his head and chirped again, gesturing to Varian. He blinked. “You-- you’re asking about me?”

A nod. Varian half-chuckled, reaching up to rub the back of his neck. “I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me. We just need to figure out where Rapunzel left the Top.”

He carefully stepped out of the ring of hair, making his way to where Rapunzel was trying to pull a stuffed bear from one of the toy piles. He cleared his throat to get her attention; when she turned to him with glittering green eyes, he couldn’t help but half-smile. “Hey, uh, Rapunzel? Raps? Do-- do you wanna play a game?”

“A game?” Rapunzel didn’t sound as happy or excited as he imagined she would. Varian frowned as she hugged herself, tiny fingers digging into her arms a little, and her eyes shot to the ground. “What… what kind of game?”

“Uh…” Varian cleared his throat. He’d thought this would be such a good idea, but-- Young Rapunzel didn’t seem to have the same bluster as Older Rapunzel did. And he wasn’t quite sure what he’d said wrong. Did she think he was patronizing her? That had always been his biggest pet peeve as a younger child… but he _knew_ she remembered something about the Top, somewhere in there. She just needed motivation to recall it. “How about hide-and-seek? Except we’re seeking out the Top.”

The change was immediate. Rapunzel froze, and even looking away, her eyes went round enough for Varian to see the panic in them. His heart sped up, and he knit his brows, reaching to put a hand on her shoulder. “Hey, Rapunzel, it’s--”

“No!” Rapunzel stumbled back, falling on her rear to the floor below. Varian gasped, taking a step forward, but she stumbled to her feet on her own, back pressing against the mound of toys. Her eyes darted left and right, tiny chest rising and falling all too quickly. “No hide and seek! I-- I don’t-- I don’t want Mama!”

“Ma… what?” Varian’s frown softened, concern tempered somewhat with confusion. She was talking about Gothel, wasn’t she? But Gothel was dead; they’d seen her fall in the Great Tree, and she hadn’t come out. So what…?

“Mama hides in the dark,” Rapunzel said haltingly, fingers curled in her hair. He hoped against hope she wouldn’t start pulling at it. “She-- jumps out. She’s scary. Mama’s scary.”

Varian tilted his head. “What do you mean?”

Rapunzel finally blew out a breath, and some of the color returned to her face. Her toes remained curled and she wouldn’t look him in the eyes, but-- it was progress, at least. She wasn’t panicking. “When Mama played hide-and-seek… she never let me find her. She would jump out of the corners, and scare me, and then laugh and laugh…”

Tears formed at the corners of her eyes, and a jolt went through Varian. He lowered himself onto his knees, fighting back the urge to take her into a hug-- he’d seen Eugene try to do that earlier, seen the way Rapunzel fought back. Rapunzel would ask for comfort when she wanted it. “Hey, shh, it’s-- it’s okay, Punzie.”

He didn’t really know where the nickname came from, but it seemed to get her attention; she blinked, maybe in surprise, before wiping away her tears and focusing on him at last. He blew out a sigh of relief. “I’m not gonna scare you. We just have to find that top, and then we can turn you back to normal. Okay?”

Rapunzel thought about that for a minute, tugging gently on her hair-- not in a panicking way, but a calm, thoughtful tic that he’d never really noticed before. Did she do it often? 

Finally, she nodded, reaching out a little to him. “Okay.”

He took that as an invitation to hug, but the second he pulled her in, she crawled up to his side and latched on. For a second, he almost complained-- she was much too heavy for him, with all that hair-- but, well, when she snuggled into him, he really couldn’t. Varian just smiled, patting the back of her head and letting out a grunt as he stood. Pascal chirped as Rapunzel’s head fell against his shoulder, and he heard a soft giggle.

“Okay, Punzie,” Varian found himself grinning. “Where might that Top be? Do you remember anything at all?”

“Um…” Rapunzel raised her head, twisting a little to see around her. After a few seconds, she pointed a finger toward the back of the room. “...Maybe over there? I think that’s where Genie caught me.”

“Okay then! Please keep your fingers, toesies, and hair within the ride at all times.” Varian laughed as she scrambled to pull her hair up and wrap it around her wrist. “And please no tugging on the goggles.”

Together, they ventured back into the forest of toys.

  
  


_________

  
  


Cassandra was soaked, and frustrated, and _tired._

Lance was easy enough to pacify; she just had to get him separated from Eugene and tell him that he could have ice cream later. Honestly, he was a good kid. A little emotional maybe, but good, as long as Eugene wasn’t anywhere near him.

Little Mister Fitzherbert, however, was about to make her bust a seam, and he wasn’t going to like what came out if that happened.

“Eugene, get _down_ from there right now, or so help me, I will knock you out and drag you back to the toy room!”

“La la la la lalalala-- did you say something?” Eugene called down from the top of a decorative marble pillar. He crossed his arms over his chest proudly, a shining toothy grin stretching from one ear to the other. “Sorry, I didn’t hear. I’m too busy being better than you!”

“You little--” Cassandra gnashed her teeth together, spinning around to jab a finger at Lance. He startled a little bit, backing up a step. She should probably try to at least _look_ a little more calm, but… these kids were getting on her last nerves. “You. _STAY._ You’ll regret it if you move. Hear me?”

“...Uh-huh.” Lance wrung his hands.

“Good.” Cassandra put both hands on her hips before facing Eugene again. He was making a face at her, but she managed to look past it this time, taking in a deep calming breath. “Eugene, I need you to climb back down here, right now. You could fall.”

“You’re not the boss of me!” Eugene laughed, lying down on his back so that his head hung upside-down over the edge of the pillar. She was glad Eugene had decided to wear his eyepatch that morning; he usually decided to leave it off like the stubborn mule he was, but she didn’t know if she could take a kid with a creepy black eye.

“I am right now! And do _not_ hang over like that or you’ll fall, and I am _not_ cleaning up the mess if you do!”

“I don’t see what you can do about it!” Eugene let out a cackle, reaching his arms over his head and letting them dangle.

“Young man!” Cassandra’s voice was angry, but a spike of fear lanced through her chest as he inched towards the edge of the pillar. “Get down, _right now_!”

“Eugeeeene, you might wanna do what she says,” Lance called from behind her, voice shaking a little. “You’re gettin’ really close to the edge…”

“Fraidy-cat!” Eugene laughed, kicking his feet. “C’mon, Strongbow! Where’s my brave best buddy whe-- AHHH!”

Cassandra’s heart jumped into her throat as she watched Eugene slip off, and she dove forward. Behind her, Lance was shouting, “ _EUGENE!_ ”

Her knees slammed against the marble floor, sending pain up her legs; the sudden weight of Eugene in her arms made her grunt, nearly toppling over as she tried to balance out. She could’ve lifted him with one hand, easy, but the kid was solid as a rock, and dropping from such a height-- well, it wasn’t easy on her, or her spine.

Eugene clung to her, face pale and eyes wide. She could feel his heartbeat, see his hands shake with adrenaline. She sighed, half-relieved and half-exasperated, as she stood. “You okay, Fitzherbert?”

“I-- I’m fine,” Eugene swallowed. Lance appeared at her knee, looking up with equal amounts alarm and sheepishness-- he was probably worrying she’d get onto him for leaving his spot. “Um, we can go back to the toyroom now.”

Cassandra blinked. “Really? It-- it’s that easy? You’re just gonna go without any kicking or screaming?”

“Uh-huh.” Eugene pushed against her, and Cassandra hurriedly let him down before he plummeted out of her arms. He turned to Lance. “We’re going back now. I miss Sunshine.”

“Yeah, me too.” Lance grinned, and suddenly it was like nothing had ever gone wrong. “Race you there?”

Eugene’s only answer was an impish little smile before he took off, Lance hot on his trail and Cassandra shaking her head in wonder after them.

  
  


_______

  
  


Varian and Rapunzel arrived back at the center of the room just in time to see the boys burst in. Rapunzel climbed off of him with ease, Top clutched to her chest as she ran over to meet Eugene and Lance. Pascal gave him a chirp before following her, and Varian smiled as they all melted into one big group hug.

Cassandra followed a second later, and he laughed into his fist. “What happened to all of you?”

“They found a pool,” Cassandra grumbled dryly, wringing out her short hair. It was only damp now, and a few droplets were all that sparkled on the floor by her feet. “Decided to take a dip.”

Varian glanced over at the boys, noting their wet clothes and the hair plastered to Eugene’s face. He couldn’t resist cracking a sideways grin. “I take it Eugene and Lance aren’t the best kids.”

“Oh, Lance is perfectly fine. I pity the poor orphanage maid who had to take care of young Flynn Rider over there.” Cassandra huffed as she watched the little group talk. “Hey, are you guys gonna spin the top or not?”

“Sorry,” Rapunzel flinched, dropping to her knees. “Um, Lancie, Genie… stay close, ‘kay?”

It was bizarre to watch. Varian had to look away from the intense light at first, but with his goggles on, he could manage to see with a lot of squinting. He couldn’t decide if they were shapeshifting or rapidly aging or what, and their clothes were somehow growing with them. _Magic,_ he cursed in his head. Made no logical sense whatsoever. This was why he preferred science.

When the glow finally subsided, Varian lifted his goggles and Cassandra looked back over. Eugene, Lance, and Rapunzel all blinked and stumbled a bit, getting used to being taller again; for a moment, it was quiet.

Then Rapunzel lifted both fists into the air. “Woo-hoo!”

“Back to my devilishly handsome self,” Lance ran a hand over his bald head, grinning ear-to-ear. “That was fun, though.”

“Yeah, well, you weren’t the one who had the bright idea to jump off a pillar.” Eugene was already trying in vain to fix his hair. “How did I ever survive childhood?”

“With a lot of luck.” Cassandra crossed her arms as they turned to her, but the corner of her lips was pulled up. “Glad to see you’re back to normal.”

“Yeah, me too.” Rapunzel laughed, glancing over at Varian. It didn’t last long, but he caught a hint of something soft, and even a little warmer than her usual manner, if that was possible. “Thanks, you guys. For doing all that.”

“Of course, Raps.” Cassandra turned back toward the door. “We do need to continue looking for an exit, though.”

“I dunno, you guys. We might end up having to stay another night.” Eugene sighed. “I mean, yeah, we can search, but I’m tired already. Besides, there are way too many doors in this place. There’s no way we can check all of them today.”

“Let’s hope that’s not the case.” Cassandra gestured for them to follow. “C’mon. This time, let’s stick together a little better.”

  
  


_____

  
  


Matthews watched the group with narrowed eyes. His frown deepened as they laughed together, searching the halls and opening every door.

“Ze mirror failed, ze top failed… but I promise you, master, I will keep ze Sundrop in zis ‘ouse,” he murmured under his breath, turning to retreat back into the room. Acid-green light enveloped him as he went, and he reached to tug his hair free of its ponytail.

He had a lot of work to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not all fun and fluff, but a whole lot of bonding. <3 It's been too long since we had a nice bonding chapter.
> 
> Next is Rapunzeltopia!! Anyone got any ideas for Rapunzel's utopia? I'll be happy to read through your suggestions-- I'm mostly gonna be winging it because I have zero clue what to write for it, LOL.
> 
> (Also btw-- until this coming Thursday, my novel Worldbender is going to be completely free in ebook form! It's not quite the quality of this fic-- I wrote it about 2 years ago, LOL-- but its sequel is closer, and I'm currently finishing up the third. If you're looking for a high fantasy to get into during all this Covid-19 stuff, hop on over and give it a shot! <3
> 
> getBook.at/Worldbender )
> 
> See you next chapter!! <3


	15. Shattered Dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel wakes up in the tower and finds a reality where Mother was always kind and her friends came over to visit. However, not everything is what it seems.
> 
> _______

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all this chapter killed me and I don't even know why
> 
> xD Sorry for the long wait, I'm just having a really bad writing block at the moment. But I got this out and I'm actually really happy with it!! The chapter didn't go anywhere near how the episode did, but... I think the dark tone matches this timeline better. (Also do you guys remember the episode starting, like, right in the middle of everything? We get no explanation as to how they end up like they are. It was so confusing to try and write xD)
> 
> Anyway!! Hope you guys like it ^.^
> 
> _______

Rapunzel woke up to a very familiar ceiling.

For a second, she just blinked, brows knitting and fingers lazily curling in her hair. That was… that was the tower’s ceiling, wasn’t it? Why was it in the House of Yesterday’s Tomorrows? What was going on?

“Ra-puuun-zel!”

Ice shot through her at the voice, and Rapunzel’s heartbeat echoed in her ears. Was that-- had that been--

_No. NO! NO NO NO NO!_ _  
__I can’t go back!_

_ I can’t… _

Rapunzel drew in a sharp breath when the curtain to her little sleeping nook was torn open, scrambling up against the wall. Mother stood there with her usual disarming smile, eyes glimmering with warmth that looked so real… but Rapunzel knew it wasn’t. “Good morning, my flower!”

Rapunzel flinched at the nickname. She’d never thought about it before, but _ \--  _ it bothered her, somehow. Made her feel almost objectified. “M-mother? How are you-- how am I--?”

“Oh, dear,” Mother leaned down to sweep her into a hug, ignorant of the way Rapunzel’s breathing came to a halt as she froze. “You must’ve had a nightmare. We’ll fix that right up! Come now, breakfast is ready, and your lovely friends will be over soon.”

“My… friends?” Rapunzel pushed against her, backing up so she could see Mother’s face. “What do you mean? You-- you’d never let anyone come up…”

“Darling, of course I would! They’ve all been coming over for weeks now, haven’t they?” Mother clicked her tongue, cupping Rapunzel’s face in both hands. Her skin was cool and smooth, and Rapunzel realized that she’d never done this before: when Mother showed affection, it had always been her hair. To have her act like this felt… it felt really, really nice. “Now get ready! We don’t want that boyfriend of yours to see you in your nightgown, do we?”

“Um… no.” Rapunzel exhaled slowly and cautiously, watching Mother turn around. She hummed a tune as she made her way to their kitchen, and suddenly the smell of muffins hit her in a fragrant cloud.

This couldn’t be real. It-- it couldn’t be. She was in the House of Yesterday’s Tomorrows, wasn’t she? With Eugene and Lance and Cassandra and Varian.

But…

Remaining quiet, she pulled the curtain back around her bed and reached for one of her lavender dresses. It was the same one that they’d had to replace after the Great Tree; a surge of nostalgia went through her as she tugged it over her head. Perhaps it had been all a bad dream. Perhaps… she’d just let her imagination get the best of her. Mother always said she had a wild imagination, right?

Being locked in a tower by a cold and cruel Mother, the grueling journey, the Great Tree… it all seemed nightmarish enough. Maybe she just needed to stay awake a little longer, let her memory return.

When she surfaced into the main room of the tower, Mother was singing, already pulling a few muffins from her pan. She turned around with a large smile, holding them out to Rapunzel.

_ This has to be real _ , she decided as she took one, returning Mother’s smile. It felt real, and she wished so much that it was… if she wished hard enough, then maybe it could be true. 

  
  


_______

  
  


“Blondie,” Eugene breathed. He fought against the vines keeping his wrists and ankles bound to the wall, but it was no use; the green magic flowing through them made them invincible to anything he tried. Lead filled his lungs as he watched Rapunzel toss and turn on the stone tablet, more small vines twining around her with every second. Pascal chirped helplessly at his shoulder, clawed foot reaching out towards Rapunzel.

Above her floated Matthews-- except, well, he wasn’t really _Matthews_ anymore. His robes had shifted to acid green, and his legs were little more than a ghostly tail. Eugene couldn’t really remember him transforming-- couldn’t remember much past going to sleep and then waking up watching the love of his life writhe around. There had been a chase, a struggle, a rush of shock and dread… and then nothing.  
He gave them a crescent smile from his place above Rapunzel, glowing white eyes widening with glee. “She cannot ‘ear you, _mon ami_.” 

“What’d you do to her?” Varian demanded. Eugene glanced to his left, frowning at the raw edge in Varian’s voice.

“Wouldn’t you like to know, little scientist?” Matthews’s laugh was high and cackling. “Magic cannot be reasoned out in zimple ‘uman words. But for ze zake of your inquiring young mind, I will tell you…”

He grinned down at Rapunzel. “She will never wake. She will ztay in ze world of her dreams, and ze Sundrop will forever ztay in zis ‘ouse. Zhan Tiri shall prevail.”

“Zhan Tiri?” Varian’s brows knit, inquisitive nature cutting through the thick layer of terror and anger. “Isn’t that--”

“Quiet, boy, before I zlit your throat. I am ze one talking. Not you.” Matthews’s eyes brightened, and he drifted back down to Rapunzel. Something nasty and acidic rose in Eugene’s stomach, but there was nothing he could do-- cursing, fighting, pleading. None of it had done anything. None of it  _ would  _ do anything.

“Sunshine,” he whispered, just under his breath. “Sunshine,  _ please… please  _ be okay.  _ Fight it _ .”

And he’d keep fighting too.

  
  


_______

  
  


“Your mom makes the best muffins,” Lance stuffed another one in his mouth, crumbs falling down his shirt. “If I were you, I’d never leave this tower!”

“Of course you wouldn’t, Lance dear,” Mother smiled sweetly from where she was sweeping. “This tower is the perfect place! And I’d take care of all of you.”

Eugene raised his half-eaten muffin as if in a toast, slinging his other arm around Rapunzel’s shoulders. “Here’s to the best mom ever… can I call you mom?”

“Of course you can! If you’re to be my son-in-law one day, then I don’t see any problem.”

Cassandra smiled wide over at them. “That’s right! You and Eugene will have to let me help set up your wedding when you decide to actually have one. And Varian can do something with his alchemy to make it extra-special!”

“I absolutely can!” Varian gasped, bouncing a little in place with excitement. “Fireworks! Lanterns! Whatever you want! That’ll be so much fun! Can you help me with it, Cassie?”

“I was just about to ask, kiddo,” she flashed him a wide grin. “It’ll be the best party in Corona! Cupcakes and sidewalk chalk murals and lots of dancing.”

Rapunzel’s hands rose to her chest. “You’d do all of that for me?”

“Of course we would!” Varian smiled up at her. “You’re my honorary big sister! Why wouldn’t we?”

“Not to mention the love of my life deserves the absolute best,” Eugene grinned, leaning down to nuzzle her affectionately. “You’ll be treated just like a princess.”

_ Crack. _

Something sharp and quick and tingly went through her, and Rapunzel raised a hand to her head. She felt really, really dizzy all of a sudden…

No one seemed to notice; they were all laughing and talking, Cassandra had Varian in a playful headlock, Lance was babbling back and forth with Eugene about catering and wedding cakes. Mother was looking straight at her, a thoughtful look on her face, but she made no move to check on her.

Rapunzel shook herself, trying to focus back on the conversation-- but everything felt a little fuzzy. She blinked a few times to try and refocus, but the strange feeling persisted, and--

Movement caught her eye.

It wasn’t much-- just a swoosh of black fabric, a shadow on the wall near the staircase that led out of the tower. She could probably just ignore it, call it a rat and be done.

But something about it made a pulse of alarm go through her. An intense, burning curiosity formed in the pit of her stomach, and she cast a glance to all her chatting friends. They hadn’t seemed to notice anything, and Mother was already busy doing something else. She could go investigate and come back.

Nodding to herself, Rapunzel slipped away from Eugene, skirting around the group and making her way silently towards the staircase.

She didn’t notice Mother’s hard stare on her back as she took the first step down.

  
  


_______

  
  


“C’mon, c’mon, c’moooon…” Lance knocked on the wall again, desperately searching for a pattern. If he could just identify the support beams, he could pick out a weak point and break through-- but the wall was  _ solid.  _ Like a really, really thick seashell. It couldn’t seriously be shell, though, could it? What kind of eldritch sea monster left behind a shell like  _ this _ ?

He had to find a way out, though. Had to get help. Maximus was a pro tracker, and Ruddiger could sniff Varian out across a city. He didn’t know where Cassandra had gone, but if he could run into her, that’d be great too. Anything worked. He just needed to get his two buddies and the princess back from wherever the crazy ghost man had taken them.

A neigh broke him out of his panic, and his heartbeat went from racing to a dead stop. It’d been muffled, but he could hear it-- just on the other side of the wall. “Max!? Max, if you can hear me, do that again!”

The neigh came louder this time, followed by a series of whinnies directed off in the distance. Then there came a burst of chitters and squeaks and the clopping of hooves, and Lance felt a wave of relief crash through him. “Okay! Okay, you guys, we can work with this! C’mon, um-- you’ll have to work together, but if the horses can all kick at the same time, maybe you can bust the wall down!”

There was another flurry of sounds as the animals maneuvered around outside-- at least, he hoped that was what they were doing. Ruddiger’s loud, high-pitched shriek cut over all of it, and Lance couldn’t help but chuckle as everything died down and the raccoon started chittering out what sounded like instructions. Of course it’d be Ruddiger who knew how to break into something.

He turned, backing away as a sudden boom shook the house. No crack appeared in the wall yet, but he could  _ see  _ it straining-- four horses all working together was enough to topple the Baron and half his men, after all. No matter what kind of magic that ghost man had used to create this house, surely it couldn’t stand up to this for long.

Lance tugged at his mustache as he scanned the house. He still needed to find the others, once the animals got in. Cassandra would be a huge help, but Rapunzel and the guys took priority this time-- one, because they were in immediate danger, and two, because he at least knew a little bit about what happened to them. 

Well, not much. He remembered bursting out of one of the rooms to investigate shouting, then seeing a green ghost-man chasing Eugene and Varian down the hall. He’d had unconscious Rapunzel over his shoulder, arms dangling weakly while Pascal tried everything he could to wake her up. Nothing had worked. 

Lance felt a little guilty for not being able to help then, but he supposed it was better this way. He could get help now before going back to try and save them.

A concussive  _ boom  _ shook the house as a crack split cleanly down the wall.

  
  


______

  
  


Rapunzel couldn’t believe her eyes.

It was--  _ her.  _ Emaciated and scarred and short-haired, heavy cloak on thin shoulders and a steely sharpness to her eyes, but it was  _ her.  _ Freckles and build and little dainty nose, and the exact same dress she wore, except torn and muddied until it was barely recognizable.

They stood for nearly a full minute, Rapunzel one step higher than the copy, just staring at each other. It was like looking into a broken mirror, and it sent shivers through her whole body that had nothing to do with the ice-cold stone under her bare feet. “...Who are you?”

“I’m you,” she answered, eerily calm. Her stare never wavered. “After the Great Tree, before we follow Adira’s direction. I am you before the choice.”

“...What do you mean?”

Brunette Rapunzel reached under her cloak, pulling out a little green chameleon. The sight of him made that awful  _ crack  _ shoot through her again, and she hissed, both hands going up to clutch at her head. Pascal. His name was Pascal. Why did she know that?

“He’s our first act of rebellion,” Brunette said smoothly, as if reading her thoughts. Maybe she was. “Something that does not exist here. In your dream.”

Rapunzel’s eyes shot up, studying the thin face. “Dream? What dream?”

“You know this isn’t reality.” Brunette stroked Pascal’s head, humming lightly. “You are in the House of Yesterday’s Tomorrows. Matthews has put you under a spell.”

“But--”

She fought back a scream when Brunette lunged forward, nose nearly meeting hers and eyes wide with urgency. Pascal had scurried up to perch on her head, and both bony hands rested on Rapunzel’s shoulders. “This isn’t reality. You have to wake up, Rapunzel.  _ Wake up. _ ”

_ Crack. Crack. Crack.  _ Reality flashed around her, and she stumbled, crying out as her back hit the steps and pain raced up her spine. “But Mother, she-- she’ll--”

“Mother doesn’t care.” Brunette’s voice was hard. “You want her to.  _ We  _ want her to. So badly. But she doesn’t.  _ She never did _ .”

“Rapunzel?”

Ice shot through Rapunzel’s veins as a shadow fell over her. She looked up with terrified eyes at the silhouette of Mother in the doorway; a wave of clashing feelings swept her off her feet and left her weak and shaky and unsure. “Mother…?”

“Oh, sweetheart, what are you doing in here?” Mother’s footsteps were light on the stone steps, her voice honeyed and her arms warm around Rapunzel’s huddled form. “Did you see something?”

Rapunzel looked over her shoulder. Brunette stared back, cold and severe and judging.

It was hard. Mother was warm and familiar; she was everything Rapunzel had ever associated with  _ home.  _ Brunette-- the mirror image of herself-- was scarred, world-weary. She’d seen outside, suffered through what it had to offer.

She  _ wanted  _ to shut her eyes and bury her face away from Brunette and pretend she didn’t exist.

But that wasn’t Rapunzel.

Reality was shattering around her now, and she shouted, reaching up to take Mother by the shoulders and push her away. “No! This isn’t real! This-- this isn’t how it goes!”

“Rapunzel, dearie--”

“You’re not my mother!” Hot tears streamed down her face and something burned in her chest with every breath. She jabbed a finger at the woman. “Moth-- Gothel was  _ abusive.  _ She never loved me!”

Mother’s face fell. “Flower, please, tell me what’s wrong.”

_ Flower. _

_ My flower. _

_ Fragile as a flower… _

A tingle started along her scalp, slowly growing into a sharp, stinging ache. Rapunzel stumbled back, tumbling down a few steps before reaching out and desperately grabbing at the stone to stop herself from falling the rest of the way. Brunette watched, unbothered, even as Mother went straight through her to follow Rapunzel. Like mist. “Rapunzel, what in the name of all things good is going on?”

Rapunzel glared up. “You know exactly what was going on.”

The last of the illusion fell away.

Mother’s eyes lit up acid green, and a flurry of terror and anger and something cold and acidic ran through Rapunzel all at once. The disguise burned away slowly, edges turning from red to black and peach to green, until Mother wasn’t Mother-- it was a huge green spirit with long white hair, his fangs gleaming in the glow of an ethereal green body. Brunette disappeared on the nonexistent wind, her haunting, cold eyes the last thing to flow away.

“You do not like your dream, oui?” the spirit asked, and Rapunzel shivered. Matthews’s voice. “Zen ‘ow about we look at a nightmare instead?”

The steps disappeared from under her, and a scream ripped from Rapunzel’s throat. She scrambled for purchase, but it was no use-- the staircase had flattened into a smooth stone incline, and there was nothing she could do to stop herself from slipping down, down, down into the inky blackness below.

  
  


______

  
  


When she awoke, she wished she hadn’t.

Rapunzel was at the Great Tree again. Except this time, things weren’t like she remembered. Her memories had always been hazy, edges fuzzy and faces void of detail. But here, she could see everything-- the pain as life drained from her friends. As Cassandra stumbled and fell down face-first. As Lance fell flat on his back, large chest still. As Varian sucked in wheezing gasps of air, holding his throat and staring with glassy eyes at nothing. As Eugene reached for her, blood leaking from between his lips and splashing to the ground below. The song was back too, no longer a vague melody but a dark verse sung by her mother’s rasping voice.

_ Wither and decay. _

Rapunzel cried. Power pulsed through her, foreign and icy and greedy. Her eyes were inky; she could see it in the way black muddled her vision, casting everything in a muddy field of gray.

_ End this destiny. _

Her feet dangled. She looked down to try and escape the sight of her friends, only to find a pale and lifeless Pascal lying in a ball at her feet. Tears muddled her vision.

_ Break these earthly chains… _

Tendrils of shadow snaked around her as if they had a mind of their own, wrapping around her ankles and exploring along the grassy floor. Everywhere her hair touched, life drained, leaving empty shells of flowerbuds and the corpses of what could have been lush plants.

_...and set the spirit free. _

Rapunzel screwed her eyes shut, toes curling and arms fighting to lift and cover her ears. This couldn’t be real. It felt real and it looked real and it sounded real-- but she knew, deep down, this wasn’t how things went. Gothel hadn’t won. She had been defeated, left to rot in that same awful chamber she’d kept Rapunzel in, with those canvases covered with with too much paint.

_ “Rapunzel.”  _ Gentle fingers cupped her cheek.

She cracked her eyes open, and through a haze of tears, she could make out Brunette’s hollow face. No longer set in a mask of apathy, but soft and caring and just as broken as she felt. “Rapunzel. You know this is a dream.”

“What does that change?” she whispered. “I’m still-- I’m still stuck here. They’re still dying.”

“We were never stuck. We will never be stuck.” Green eyes met solid black, a stare that conveyed a thousand words and more. “All those years we lived in that tower, the only thing keeping us there was ourselves. We had a window and a way out. We were just too scared to take it.”

Rapunzel’s bottom lip quivered. She was right. How many times had she stared outside that window, drinking in the summer air and watching everything go by without her? All that time, all she’d had to do was stop dancing around invisible lines and just…

...Go.

Rapunzel sucked in a deep breath, swallowing her tears, and stepped forward.

Everything stopped.

She pulled free easily. Her hair trailed behind her, black flecked with gold, as she strode along the platform. Nothing moved. Her friends were frozen, unblinking and unmoving, caught mid-choke and mid-crawl. Time was at a standstill. Or perhaps it had never existed at all.

Matthews met her outside, fury burning in his white-hot eyes. She stood at the very edge of the platform, looking out over an endless forest. But she wasn’t afraid: neither of him nor of the height. This was her dream, after all.

“You are an infuriating _petite princesse_ ,” Matthews spat, green fingers curling into claws. “Why cannot you just zubmit? You are a zimple ‘uman creature, only blessed with ze Zundrop. No power runs through your veins but ze magic zat does not belong!”

“I will not submit,” Rapunzel said, slowly and calmly as she looked up at him. “Never again.”

A hand settled on her shoulder, and she glanced over. Brunette cast her a nod, and for the first time-- a tiny, warm smile flitted across her pale lips. Pascal-- the other Pascal, not the dead pale nightmare one-- ran from Brunette’s shoulder to hers, squeaking in encouragement.

Rapunzel looked back to Matthews. Without any more words, she strode right through his ethereal form and stepped off the balcony, plummeting down to the trees below.

  
  


______

  
  


Varian couldn’t help it. He screeched. It wasn’t his proudest moment, but honestly, he couldn’t blame himself. It wasn’t every day he got trapped in an underground chamber by a magical ghost man and then had it collapse in on him.

Rapunzel’s eyes flew open just as a crack ran down the wall. Matthews’s screams, both enraged and pained, filled the chamber, but he could still hear Eugene’s breathless  _ “Blondie!”  _

The vines around them withered, and Varian tumbled to the ground, pain shooting up his legs as he collapsed. But he was free. They were all free. Rapunzel was awake, and--

“It’s coming down on us!” Rapunzel gasped, and suddenly a pair of arms snaked around his torso to pull him up. Rapunzel’s face filled his vision as Eugene slung him over his shoulder; Varian could only cough a little as he watched cracks running through the ceiling and dust falling into the room.  
...No. Not dust. Sand.

“What the heck is going on!?” he cried out, reaching up to bury his hands in his hair. “None of this makes sense! Where is sand coming from!?”

“We can talk about that later, hair-stripe,” Eugene puffed out, jumping up a steep staircase three at a time. Rapunzel followed as quick as she could, bare feet making little taps on the steps as she looked back. The room had all but collapsed behind them, and it looked like the decay was spreading: the lavish salmon-pink shell was graying, cracks and chips appearing in its surface and giving way to more sand.

_ “This… isn’t… over…!”  _ Matthews’s voice boomed around him, above him, under him-- it was everywhere and nowhere, from the house itself as much as the ghost they left behind.

Then another voice rang out, accompanied by neighs and clicking hooves, and Varian’s heart leapt. Lance and Eugene exchanged something rapidfire before they all sprinted into the kitchen, then the main room, and then--

Sunlight fell in his eyes, threatening to make him blink, but Varian couldn’t possibly look away. Eugene finally let him down, and he stumbled to get his balance on the fluffy grass; Ruddiger jumped into his arms and he held the raccoon tightly against his chest.

The house had fallen.

It was nothing. Just a mound of sand and rubble.

Rapunzel was the first to speak, running up to embrace each of the horses one by one. “Oh, Max! Fidella! Fancy, Stelle! I’m so glad to see you guys again! And… Owl…?”

They all turned to her, watching as Rapunzel stared down at Owl. When she looked back at them, her eyes were wide, something terrible in their depths. “Guys, where… where’s Cass?”

As if on cue, something whooshed behind them.

Right in the center of the dune, a door pieced itself back together, a shard of wall materializing from nowhere. A layer of tension settled over all of them, and something cold squeezed Varian’s chest. 

Eugene drew his dagger and stepped forward. “Watch out, everyone. We don’t know what sub-human monster may come through that door.”

At that moment, it swung open, and Cassandra staggered out.

“Cass!” Rapunzel pushed past them to run up to her, taking the woman into a hug. Eugene and Lance followed, but Varian hung back-- not that he wasn’t happy Cassandra had come back, but…

There was something weird in Cassandra’s eyes when she looked down at Rapunzel, and her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. The group hug broke apart after a few seconds, and Cassandra cleared her throat, nodding towards the horses. “C’mon. We should get going. No telling how close the guards have gotten now that we’ve wasted three days in that house.”

“Right.” Eugene clapped her on the shoulder, the reached to take Rapunzel’s arm. “Back on the road we go, ladies and gentlemen.”

“On the road again,” Lance joined in, hopping into Fancy’s saddle. “And away from this place.”

Varian didn’t speak as he hopped onto Stelle’s back. He didn’t trust himself to. Something about that door had his stomach doing flips, and he couldn’t help but silently watch as it fell away behind them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wheeeew! Catching up the side stories, then the labyrinth, then we're home free to the finale!!!
> 
> Anything you wanna see next chapter with the side characters? Let me know! <3
> 
> (Also: I am so sorry I haven't responded to some of the newer comments. I've been taking a bit of a break from all of this to try and work past my block, but I'm gonna go take care of those as soon as I get the time. Sorry again! And thank you for reading!!!)


	16. Fragments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beyond Rapunzel and her friends, there are other things happening in Corona and the lands surrounding it-- and none of them bode well.
> 
> _____

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am... so sorry guys. I have no idea why, but this one just did not want to be written!! That and I've been super busy lately as the school year comes to a close and I try to work through lack of motivation and writer's block. This one's a bit short, but it's here finally!
> 
> Thank you all for sticking with me! <3
> 
> ________

Vex clicked her tongue as she peered into her mug. “I’m not a child, Adira.”

“You  _ are  _ a child, and you  _ aren’t  _ drinking alcohol.”

“But  _ milk _ ?”

“Be grateful and keep your mouth shut.”

She shook her head, tipping back the mug before setting it down and crossing her arms. It was thick and creamy and delicious, and honestly she wanted more. But she was determined to act like it was the sourest thing she’d ever tasted.

The man across from them didn’t seem bothered. He just reached back into a dusty wooden cabinet to slide out a fat wine bottle and pour Adira a glass. She slid him a few coins across the counter, dipping her head in thanks before taking the glass and holding it under her nose for a moment. “Strawberry?”

He grunted. “Best of th’ stock.”

She took a sip before setting it back down and drumming her fingers on the table. Vex followed her mentor’s eyes as she cast a glance over the tavern, scanning the mixed-wood walls and the few patrons slumped over low tables. Midday light filtered in through a few windows, but it only served to highlight just how dingy the place was. But no one was within listening distance, and that was what mattered.

Adira turned back to the barkeep, dark slanted eyes glittering. “As wonderful as your wine is, we aren’t here for this. We’re here for information.”

“You an’ everyone else,” he snorted. “‘Bout the labyrinth? Jus’ take my advice an’ don’t go. Anyone who wanders in that place never wanders back out.”

“We aren’t everyone.” Adira leaned forward on her elbows. “Tell me where it is. Or at least where the Path of Demanitus begins.”

He studied them. “...You’re gonna take a child there?”

Vex sneered. “Just tell us, old man. What have you got to lose, besides a few fingers if you keep bein’ stubborn?”

“Vex.” The warning in Adira’s tone was enough to make her back off, but only just. She turned back to the man. “We are meeting a few friends there.”

He shook his head. “Yer’ all crazy, then. But if you really want to know…”

He reached for an old order ticket, pulling a small charcoal pencil from behind his ear and scribbling across it. After a few minutes, he slid it over the counter with a huff. “Just be careful, lady. That place ain’t somewhere you go to have a picnic.”

“I have a picnic wherever I please.” Adira took the ticket, scanning over it quickly. Vex leaned over, craning her neck to see, but before she could catch a glimpse, Adira was already rolling it up to shove it into one of her copious pockets. She ignored the girl’s withering glare, picking up her wineglass again to tip it in the man’s direction before taking a sip. “Your help is greatly appreciated.”

“Just don’t get anybody killed, alright?” He looks between them. “The child--”

“Is a lot more capable than you with a good pair of shotels,” Vex interrupted, eyes gleaming with something sharp. “I can handle myself, geezer.”

Adira reached to put an arm between them, breaking the murderous staring contest before it could escalate into shouting. “We’ll be leaving now,” she said with a little more force than usual. 

“Better be,” he mumbled, casting one last glare at Vex before he turned back to a sinkful of dishes that looked as if it had been stacking up for a while. “Good luck, lady.”

Her eyes gleamed. “Thanks, but I make my own luck. Come on, Vex.”

She stuck her tongue out over her shoulder as they left.

  
  


_______

  
  


“Let-- go of me!” Kiera tugged against the guard’s grip, gritting her teeth. “We didn’t do anything!”

“I saw you stealing,” he grumbled down at her, looking over to his partner. “Redhead’s trying to escape. Watch her.”

Catalina glared up at her captor, casting a worried glance to Kiera. She just shook her head. They’d already tried to run. It wouldn’t do any good.

The throne room was opulent and draped with rich decorations, but it was cold. The king’s hard eyes stared down at them from the throne, his two tapping fingers the only movement as they approached.

Kiera grunted as she was pushed forward, cuffs clinking around her wrists. If she could just get a second alone, she could pick the lock and be out-- but the guards were steadfast, much too observant. She’d always heard that the Coronan guards were known to slip up now and again, but all the buzz about the Lost Princess had obviously kicked them into gear.

“Thieves,” one of them said, his voice flat and professional. “We caught them stealing food.”

“You did not,” Kiera immediately cut in. “We were just looking--”

“With your mouths?”

“Silence.” King Frederic’s voice was booming and deep, sudden enough to shock her into shutting up. “These are children, Clive.”

The guard reddened. “These  _ children _ have been stealing more than just food. We’ve traced them all around Corona these past weeks. Food, jewels, clothes.”

Catalina’s guard picked up right after hers. “We can’t just let them go or send them to an orphanage. They’ve garnered a reputation for themselves as the-- what was it again?”

“Silent Strikers,” Kiera hissed. “And I’ll strike  _ you _ if you call us children one more time.”

Her guard raised his brows. “They are also violent.”

The King studied them for a few more moments before finally heaving a sigh. He seemed to look at them, but there was something distant in his eyes-- he was thinking about something more. Kiera could only wonder what it was. “Find them one of the upper-floor dungeons, among the petty thieves. Keep them well-fed.”

Rage flashed through Kiera’s mind, and even Catalina’s eyes grew round. “You can’t do that! We’re just kids!”

Frederic ignored them, but the Queen turned to him with shock written over her features. “Fred--”

“They will not be allowed to continue as they are,” he cut her off, voice hard and flat. Final. “Children or not, we cannot allow crimes to be committed. ...No more. No matter who they are.”

That didn’t make much sense to Kiera, but the queen seemed to understand. She didn’t look too happy about it either, reaching a hand to take his shoulder in a firm grip. “ _ Fred.  _ I understand the urgency of these times, but do not make any rash decisions--”

“I am the king of this country and I shall rule it as I deem fit.” There was no room for discussion on his face. “Take them away.”

One of the guards cleared his throat. “With all due respect, your Majesty--”

He pounded a fist on the armrest of his throne. “I said  _ take them away _ ! Does no one in this kingdom heed my orders? Where is your respect?”

They shared a glance with each other, shoulders drawing up. Kiera’s guard finally dropped into an awkward bow. “Of… of course, Sire. Your commands shall be heeded. Pardon our misstep.”

The last thing Kiera saw before being whisked out of the room and towards the dungeons were the Queen’s pitying, helpless eyes locked onto them.

  
  


_______

  
  


“Fred.”

“Arianna, I am trying to run my kingdom. Please understand.”

Arianna’s eyes narrowed as she reached out to catch her husband by the arm. “Do not turn away from me.”

He sighed, shoulders slumping. For a moment, the only sound was the soft crackle of fire from the parlor grate, and she tried to ignore the way odd shadows danced along the walls and velvet furniture.

“I should have done this long ago,” he said at last, his voice hard as he turned to her. “I waited until it spread to the other young ones, when I should have just declared him wanted as soon as I got that report. I forgot my place as king.”

“Quirin is your old friend,” Arianna argued, crossing her arms over her chest. “And we don’t know what all Varian has gotten up to. If you declare him a criminal, you’ll have to declare Cassandra one as well.”

“The Captain’s daughter is working for us.”

“You don’t know that. Guard reports indicate otherwise.”

“She is good at what she does.” Frederic shook his head. “That boy has always been an iffy one. You do hear the stories that circulate about him, right? You remember sending guards to inspect his home for-- for illegal magic?”

“And we found that he was a young alchemist with only the best intentions,” she gently reminded him, leaning forward just a bit. “You’re being rash, Fred. You do realize you just put two young girls into the dungeons?”

“They will be looked after.” He didn’t budge. “As will the boy, when we get ahold of him. They can’t all run forever. I  _ will  _ get my daughter back.”

“I want Rapunzel back just as much as you do.” Arianna’s voice shook under the quiet anger, but she held back the tears. She had to be strong; she was always strong, for him and for their daughter’s sake. “But this? This is not the way. Look back at what you’ve done to Corona-- the people live in fear of the guards and children have suffered for the money you took from their orphanages.”

“They can live without toys--”

“But can they live without  _ food _ ?” Arianna’s voice finally broke. “Because that is what you denied them in the poorer establishments. You do realize that, don’t you?”

When he looked away, hard eyes downcast, she sighed and moved to gently hug him. “Fred, I love you. I swear I do. With my whole heart. But you have to realize when you’re being irrational.”

He was silent for a few moments before she felt arms gently wrap around her, one hand going to her hair. “I’m sorry,” he murmured, and her heart twisted when she heard tears in his voice. “But I will do whatever it takes to get her back.”

Arianna pressed her lips together. It took all her strength and will to push back, looking him in the eye. “Then you will not have my support in this.”

She turned to leave, keeping her back straight and her face flat even as her name, broken and scared and desperate, echoed off the palace walls.

  
  


_____

  
  


“Captain?” Stan’s voice was hesitant as he stood in the tent’s entrance. “Captain, are you-- are you ready to pack up?”

The Captain sighed as he lowered the small music box into his pocket. It was barely the size of his palm, just small enough for him to carry around everywhere-- and he still did, no matter how much Cassandra declared him sentimental. It reminded him of her, of how things used to be, when she was small and rambunctious and still needed to be held now and again when memories would pop up in the form of fragmented nightmares.

He finally looked up to the guard with a nod, brown eyes hard and focused. “We know where they’re headed?”

Stan nodded hesitantly. “Yes, we’ve been able to track them past the-- the weird sand dune. But Cap, are you sure about this?”

“I’m certain.” He stood, adjusting his gloves. “Move out. We will track them down within the week, and we will detain Flynn Rider and his other accomplices.”  
“And Cassandra?”

He winced. “We’ll do what we have to. But I will not stand for any permanent harm coming to my daughter. You can be sure of that.”

“...Alright. We’ll, um. We’ll be waiting for ya.” He turned, nearly letting the tent flap close before looking back. “I really hope you’re right about her.”

The Captain sighed, looking down at his pocket where the music box lay. “Me too, Stan. Me too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now I just hope I can write the next two, haha. It should be a little easier now that I've gotten this stuff out of the way and can move back to mirroring canon a bit more!! Sorry again for the short length (especially after it took so long T.T)
> 
> See you next chapter ^.^ It'll probably be a lot longer!


	17. Legendary Revelations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The party bumps into Madame Canardist once again-- but this time, there's a little more than just a fortune waiting for them.
> 
> ______

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys im dying i havent written hardly anything these past few months arrrrggh i hate it i'm failing all my projects
> 
> But here you go!! Into the labyrinth!! :D I hope you enjoy what I could get out <3
> 
> _____

Varian couldn’t shake the feeling that something was very, very wrong.

He’d tried to dismiss it-- tried to tell himself that nothing was amiss. Nothing out of the usual, anyway. But he couldn’t. He didn’t know if it was all Cassandra, or maybe it was the dreams he’d suddenly been having and couldn’t seem to remember come morning. But whatever it was, it sat like a leaden weight in his gut, and he didn’t know how much longer he could ignore it.

Lance pulled up beside him on Fancy. “Lighten up, kid. Look, we’re making it back out into open plains. We’re close.”

He looked up. Lance was right-- nothing but pillowy grass and wildflowers for miles and miles around them, interspersed with random patches of trees or lakes. It was all cut off by the blurry shape of mountains and cliffsides, some only visible if he squinted. The sky was bright blue and clear, and Owl hooted overhead as he dipped and soared with the songbirds.

But it didn’t make him feel any better.

Eugene pulled up on the other side. “You know you can tell us,” he spoke gently, a glimmer of understanding in his eyes. “Cass and Sunshine are out looking around on Fidella. It’s just us.”

Varian puffed out a breath, tugging at his bangs. Ruddiger chittered, shifting around in his lap. “It’s just-- do none of you just have an  _ off  _ feeling? Like-- like something’s terribly wrong but you don’t know what?”

Eugene and Lance shared a quick glance before returning to Varian. “Well,” Lance began. “I can’t say I do, but… what do you think the problem might be?”

His mind flicked to Cassandra, then the dreams, but he bit his cheek and pushed the second thought away. “It’s… I think it might be Cassandra.”

Eugene winced. “Okay, I know things are still really tough between you two, but don’t you think it’s time to make up? She hasn’t done anything but do her part and help everyone.”

Varian’s lips pressed together into a thin, hard line. “You think I’m being petty about this?”  
“Maybe not _petty_ ,” Lance drawled out, a note of hesitance to his tone. “But, I mean, you guys have been pretty tense ever since the Great Tree. And you’ve been doing great up ‘til now! Not getting mad at all or jumping to conclusions-- at least, not what I’ve seen.”

Something hot settled in Varian’s chest, and Ruddiger squeaked quietly when his grip on Stelle’s reins tightened. “So is that what you think I’m doing now? What, did you guys not see the way she looked at Rapunzel when she came out of that weird door? You haven’t seen the way she’s been distant with everyone lately?”

“Distant?” Eugene cocked a brow. “Buddy, she’s out picking wildflowers with Sunshine. That is, like, the most un-Cass thing I can think of, and she’s doing it to make Rapunzel happy. Besides, Cass is always a little guarded. That’s just her.”

Varian let out a heavy sigh, scrubbing a hand over his face. “Fine, you don’t have to believe me.”

“It’s not that we don’t believe you, buddy,” Lance tried again. “Just that we think you might be overreacting.”

“Mmh.”

Silence fell over them for a minute, thankfully broken by Rapunzel and Cassandra returning to them atop Fidella. “Guys!” Rapunzel yelled as soon as they were within hearing range, hopping from Fidella’s saddle and racing over to them. She bounced on her heels, grin stretching all the way across her face. “Guess who we found!?”

Eugene’s brows shot up. “Um…”

She cut him off before he could even begin to answer. “You remember that fortune teller lady, the one with the monkey? We found her! And she says she has a very special fortune just for us!”

An appalled look came over Eugene’s face as he glanced up to Cassandra for confirmation. When she gave a slow, reluctant nod, he groaned, shoulders slumping forward. “Yeah. Okay. We can go see them.”

“Yay!” Rapunzel swung up into Maximus’s saddle like she’d been riding all her life, leaning forward to kiss Eugene’s cheek. “C’mon, let’s get going! She’s just that way!” She pointed a little to their left, into a small grove of low trees.

Eugene glanced to Varian. “Now maybe I understand your bad feeling.”

He just shook his head.

  
  


_______

  
  


Cassandra planted both hands on her hips, glaring down at the monkey through squinted eyes. “So… let me get this straight. This monkey--” she gestured to Vigor, who was busy picking fleas from his own fur and popping them into his mouth-- “has a very important message for us that absolutely  _ cannot  _ go unaddressed.”

“Yes,” Canardist grunted out, looking very reluctant about it. “My precious Vigor has insisted that we follow you as you carouse about the land. He wants to give you an important message.”

“Uh-huh.” Eugene scowled down at the cross-eyed monkey. “So this  _ very nonverbal  _ monkey told you to follow us. For something that is totally not a scam.”

She waved a hand. “He has taken a liking to you. Though, there is no accounting for taste.”

Varian and Lance shared a glance. When they looked back, Varian’s face was painted a dark shade of skeptical and Lance’s eyes shone with wonder. 

Rapunzel saw none of that-- and if she did, she didn’t acknowledge anyone’s cynicism. “Well, what’s the message then?”

“And how much does it cost?” Eugene cut in dryly.

Canardist held up a hand, wriggling her fingers with a smug smile. “Five silver pieces. Or another gold, should you wish to make the same deal as last time. I would not object.”

“Of course you wouldn’t,” Eugene ground out, digging a coin from his pocket and grudgingly holding it out for her to take. 

Her spindly fingers reached for the coin, but Vigor burst to life before she could take it, snatching the coin for himself as he bounded to the ground and between their feet. Lance’s high-pitched shout was rivaled only by Varian’s, and Rapunzel leapt up to follow right as Cassandra pulled out her sword.

Eugene just pinched the bridge of his nose, fed up with life already, and followed the entire mass of chaos out. “We’ll bring him back,” he said, defeated, over his shoulder before closing the door behind him.

  
  


_______

  
  


“The Path of Demanitus,” Rapunzel read off, straightening and pursing her lips at the stone marker. Cobwebs, swept aside by her hand moments ago, fluttered off of it in the breeze like little gauzy flags, caught on moss bravely crawling along its engraved surface. The ground under her feet was cold, dampened by the wet fog drifting through bare trees around them. They had left the horses and Ruddiger behind, unwilling to take them through the root-infested wetlands Vigor had led them through. “Who on earth is Demanitus?”

“Greatest inventor of all time,” Varian rattled off without a second thought, eyes shining as he bent over a little to read the stone. He didn’t have to go far down. “Some say he was a wizard too, but I’ve long held my doubts about that. I know a thing or two about the miracle of science being labeled magic by the misinformed.”

“You’re saying this to a girl with magic hair.” Lance chuckled, crossing his arms over his wide chest. “I say he was a wizard.”

Varian frowned indignantly. “And _I_ say--”  
“ _I say_ you should all look up.” Cassandra’s voice brought their eyes to her, and she pointed ahead at the breaking fog. A gargantuan stone wall stared back at them, engraved by strange markings and glyphs. Right in the center, two big, slanted blocks cut the wall in half, leaving a gaping entryway covered in thick ivy. “Monkey just went in there.”

“Of  _ course  _ he did. Why wouldn’t he?” Eugene slid a hand down his face, sighing and making towards the entrance. “Come on, my merry band of doomed travelers, let’s follow the crazy monkey into a death trap.”

“Nice to see you’re being optimistic today,” Cassandra muttered, glancing down to the rest of them and jerking her head in the direction of the stone entrance. “You guys coming?”

“Yeah, yeah, we’re coming.” Lance started forward, followed by Rapunzel and Varian. “I just hope there aren’t too many spiders in there.”

She raised a brow at him. “We’re going into a giant labyrinth-looking thing and you’re worried about spiders.”

“Who wouldn’t be?”

“Oh, I don’t know, rational people?” Cassandra grinned before bumping him with an elbow. “So many things to be afraid of besides spiders.”

“Yeah, like dragon ladies.” Eugene smirked over his shoulder.

“Or snakes!” Rapunzel hugged herself. “Or men with pointy teeth… or the plague…or cannibals...”

Varian’s brows fell. “We haven’t experienced a plague in Corona in a hundred years. And I don’t think we have any cannibals around...”

“But we  _ did _ ,” she insisted. “And who knows when it’ll come back?”

“How about let’s not worry about that right now, Sunshine?” Eugene pressed a gentle hand to her back to guide her forward between the giant stone markers. She jumped at first, then relaxed, shifting closer to him as they walked into a tunnel. Shadows fell over them in a thick layer, broken only by the rays of sunlight in the end of the tunnel.

Rapunzel’s feet fell out from under her.

A yelp slipped from her lips before she could stop it, feet tangling. Something was around her ankle and it was pulling her down-- a snake? A rope? It wasn’t her hair, it was too thin for that-- had someone set a trap? Was she going to be tugged down and bound  _ and dragged around and starved and-- _

Strong hands caught her around the waist, pulling her up with a whistle. “Watch your step, Sunshine. Vines’ll get you.”

Vines. She let out a sheepish laugh as she clutched Eugene’s sleeves, pulling herself up with his help. It was a vine around her ankle-- and she shook it off easily. “Right. I just got excited, I guess.”

“Hey guys?” Varian’s voice came from the mouth of the tunnel. 

Lance picked up, sounding hesitant and a little nervous. “You, uh… you may want to come see this.”

Eugene stiffened, hand floating down to take Rapunzel’s as they approached the light. Pushing past a curtain of ivy revealed Cassandra standing off to the side, peering down a steep stone dropoff with her hands on her hips. Lance hid behind Varian as they stared off into the distance, while Vigor swung from the hanging ivy and hooted at them.

Before them lay a sprawling stone labyrinth, hundreds of ivy-covered stone walls snaking around in dizzying paths and punctuated by spiky black rocks. The urge to paint it, capture the mystery of the pathways and the beauty of the sunlight pouring over ancient stone, hit Rapunzel in a landslide.

“What’s the big de…..oh.” Eugene ran a hand over his face, sighing. “I hate mazes.”

“Oh, but  _ Eugene, _ ” Rapunzel took his arm. “I’ve always wanted to go through a maze! Won’t that be fun?”

He shook his head. “Look, I’m happy for you, really, but that maze, it-- we’ll never get out of there if we go in.”

“Agreed,” Cassandra sighed, fiddling with the hilt of her sword. “Anybody here good at these things?”

“I can sketch a map,” Varian spoke up brightly, then wilted when Cassandra looked to him. “Ah, I mean, if-- if you think--”

“You require no map.”

The voice was low, smooth and pleasantly baritone. It sent all of them jumping, Rapunzel hiding behind Eugene and Lance letting out a squawk and Varian cowering back with his hands over his face. Cassandra pulled out her sword, gritting her teeth and looking around. “Who was that!? What did you say?”

The voice cleared its throat, drawing Rapunzel’s eyes to the monkey sitting near the mouth of the tunnel. Vigor stood, looking at all of them with serious and  _ much _ too-aware eyes. “I  _ said _ ,” Vigor  _ spoke _ , “You require no map. For I am Lord Demanitus.”

For a tense moment, there was silence. Dead, heavy silence. Flickering stares. Awkwardness. Rapunzel was fairly certain someone muffled a cough.

Then Eugene burst out laughing, hand resting on Rapunzel’s shoulder as he doubled over. “The-- the  _ monkey _ is talking now!?” He looked between everyone else, eyes wide and some mix of disbelieving and desperate. “Please tell me I’m having a fever dream at this point. We’re all going to wake up on the road around a campfire and Cassandra’s going to punch someone and Varian will ramble about science and everything will be normal!”

Vigor-- Demanitus? Rapunzel wasn’t sure-- cleared his throat again, frowning. “I am indeed talking. For I am Lord Demanitus.”

“Yea, we heard you, buddy.” Cassandra stalked towards him, leveling her sword towards the monkey’s throat. He didn’t react. “What kind of witchcraft is this? Are you with Zhan Tiri?”

“Well, that would be my own personal past business.” He reached a finger to press aside the flat of her blade. “But no. In case you have not heard the legends surrounding me, Zhan Tiri and I are mortal enemies. I only wish to lead you all through my labyrinth.”

“Oh, _your_ labyrinth, huh?” Eugene rolled his eyes. “Of course, because the talking monkey _would_ own the death ma--”  
“Please!” Varian shouted, eyes shining and round. His smile was nearly wider than his face. “Oh, man, oh, gosh, Demanitus, it-- it--”  
“Hold up, we don’t know this monkey is Demanitus,” Lance stepped forward and frowned at him.

“ _ Thank you _ , Lance, buddy--”

“--But I sure as heck am not going through that spider-infested place without a guide, so yes, please, let’s listen to him.” Lance gestured for Demanitus to continue.

“Thank you, tall bald one.” Demanitus clasped his hands behind his back. “You see, through the miracles created when one combines science and the magical arts, I have been able to preserve my consciousness within the body of this monkey. However, I can only summon myself to the surface once, and for a limited time. So if you don’t mind, my friends, we should really not be wasting precious time.”

Cassandra’s brows knit. “And what makes you think we believe any of that crock of nonsense you just spilled?”

“Cass,” Rapunzel finally worked up the nerve to speak. “We really, really need a guide through here. I don’t think we want to get lost.”

“But this monkey? He came from that Canardist lady!” Cassandra huffed. “Can’t we just get Varian to make a map?”

Rapunzel glanced down to where Varian had descended, kneeling in front of the monkey and asking a rapidfire tsunami of questions. “I think he’s a little preoccupied.”

Eugene sighed, reaching to gently push Rapunzel towards Lance and Cassandra and away from the monkey. “Look, you guys,” he murmured, “We don’t know if this guy’s the real deal or not. But Sunshine is right. We need a guide. There’s no way we can make it in and out of there alive on our own wits.”

“I think it sounds exciting,” Rapunzel smiled, ignoring the twisting feeling in her stomach. The thought of walking into a dark place with cold stone walls...

“Why are we even going into this labyrinth, anyway?” Cassandra crossed her arms. “Can’t we just turn back and get Max and Fidella and the rest? I don’t see what’s so special about this place.”

“Well,” Demanitus hummed, “I  _ did  _ hide a piece of the scroll in there that will help the Sundrop seize her destiny.”

“Well, maybe--” Eugene gave a violent jolt, shaking his arm and sending Demanitus tumbling to the ground. “How long have you been sitting there?”

“Long enough.” He grunted as Varian hurried to pick him back up, dusting off his fur. “But yes, you really must go through the maze if you ever wish to truly understand the magic within the Sundrop.”

Rapunzel chewed on her lip. “So… this scroll…” Hadn’t Adira mentioned something about a scroll? Something about… hadn’t she asked them to collect pieces if they stumbled across one? “It’ll give me answers?”

“Answers and more.” Demanitus nodded, clasping his hands behind his back and bouncing his tail once. “You must only follow me through the labyrinth and heed my directions. Do this and the traps will not pose an issue.”

Eugene groaned. “And of course the death maze is full of  _ traps _ .”

“And spiders!”

“Shut up, Lance.”

Demanitus looked between all of them, one by one, never changing his expression. “Do we have a deal?”

Eugene and Cassa ndra cast a glance to each other, frowning, before looking to Varian and Lance respectively. Then they all turned to her, Eugene and Cassandra with skeptical frowns and Varian and Lance with encouraging nods and big smiles.

Rapunzel cleared her throat before turning back to Demanitus. “We’ll follow you,” she decided, trying to feel as confident as she felt. “Lead me to the answers.”

Demanitus nodded once, stiff and businesslike, before walking over to a steep staircase and starting down. “Well, follow me, young ones.”

They watched him pad down before slowly, one by one, moving to follow him-- Varian first, ducking his head, followed by Lance and finally Cassandra.

Rapunzel took Eugene’s arm in hers, pulling him gently closer. “Answers,” she murmured, never taking her eyes off her friends. The friends who’d come to save her with Eugene, who’d set her free and gone on a journey of discovery with her. All simply because they wanted to help her find her destiny.

“Answers,” he agreed, reaching to push a lock of hair behind her ear. “We’ll finally know your secret to being so charming and loveable.”

She grinned, bumping him a little bit. “I’m wondering more about my unbreakable magic hair.”

“Oh, well, that’s kind of unbelievable too.” His lips pulled up in one corner. He leaned forward to press a kiss to her cheek, brushing a thumb over the same spot. “Let’s go find your destiny, Sunshine.”

“To destiny and beyond.” She smiled, leaning into him as they started down the stairs. “I love you, Eugene.”

She could feel his brown eyes studying her softly, feel the way he shifted her closer and leaned his head to rest against hers for a fleeting moment. “I love you too, Sunshine.”

And, together, they headed once more into the unknown.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Might split this arc into 3, just depends. But yeah. We're on Lost and Found now, which means the next arc is the finale, and... then we get into the mess of an Arc 3 I have planned! I can't wait to show you guys what's been happening off-screen ^.^ I feel like you just might be surprised! (If I can actually make myself write anything, urk) Also, what are you guys thinking about Cassandra? What's going through her head?
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this little beginning chapter!!


	18. A Test Of Faith

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel and company must make it through Demanitus's labyrinth.
> 
> Eugene gets an unsettling message.
> 
> _____

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys... okay, I know. I know I'm being super slow. I know. I'm really sorry. But I promise I'm not giving up! I work on it frequently, just... like... only getting out a word a day. Stuff's been happening and my mental state hasn't been the best.
> 
> But I /am/ going to finish this fic. Thank you so much for sticking with me if you're still here. Love to all of you <3
> 
> _______

Varian yelped as he nearly tripped over a clump of moss to try and keep up. “So, okay, wait. You _are_ a wizard?”

Demanitus raised one finger on each hand and crossed them. “Wizard and scientist. Together. Oh, and an inventor and an engineer. Historian, expert in mythology and folklore, seeker of truths…”

Lance whistled, ducking under a crumbling stone archway dripping with ivy. “Is there anything you _aren’t_?”

“Well, I attempted poetry once,” he drawled, scratching his back with a long arm. “It was promptly burned and the remains destroyed.”

Cassandra snorted out a laugh behind them. “What was it about?”

“That, sword-wielding lady knight, is none of your business.” Demanitus grinned over his shoulder before cutting sharply to the right, pointing to a stone in the path that stuck up just a bit more than the others. “Avoid that. It’s a button.”

Varian’s eyes went wide as he skirted around the stone, but Lance crouched down right in front of it. “A button? Well, what does it do? You can’t just expect me not to press--”

“It will open a chasm full of optica spiders. Very venomous.”

Varian found himself unable to help from grinning as Lance stumbled back from the button and into Cassandra. He hurried after Demanitus, leaving behind two squabbling friends and a few shouted warnings to the approaching Rapunzel and Eugene.

He walked in silence for only a moment before looking down at the monkey. “What are optica spiders?”

“What else? Spiders that look like eyeballs.” Demanitus chuckled. “I thought you would know these things, being a scientist.”

“I-- well, I mean… I’ve never heard of them before.” He frowns. “Were they really going to spill out if Lance touched that button?”

“Mm, no. We would have ended up in a pitfall to our deaths. But this way, I am one hundred percent certain he will not press that button. His arachnophobia is highly amusing.”

Varian frowned. “You lied to them?”

“Well, yes, but for their own safety.” Demanitus glanced up at Varian. “No harm came of it.”

“...No,” Varian murmured. “But… it was still a lie. That’s not good, is it?”

“Sometimes, my boy, you have to do little bad things to get bigger good results. For instance, because I told a fib, your friend Lance is not splattered at the bottom of a pitfall.”

“I guess you’re right,” he said after a moment. The memory of a small glass inkwell popped up in his mind’s eye, and he hesitated.

He hadn’t exactly done it out of necessity. The opportunity had just been there, and he hadn’t been able to resist taking it. He’d done it to benefit Rapunzel, though-- to distract her from things and make her happy. And the shopkeeper had probably never even noticed it was missing.

So… it was a good thing, right? To help a friend? It had to be.

A flash of gray fur bumped into him from behind, ripping a yelp from his throat as he lost his balance. Lance was there to catch him, chuckling over at Ruddiger. “I think something spooked him.”  
“Well, if it hasn’t yet, it will.” Demanitus gestured ahead where Ruddiger had perched atop a giant stone tablet inscribed with words. “The first of many puzzles.”

“Ooh, puzzles!?” Rapunzel skipped ahead, clasping her hands over her chest. “I love puzzles!”

Varian walked up timidly beside her, casting Rapunzel a small smile before looking up at the tablet. “A room with one way in, and one way out,” he read, careful to keep from stumbling over his words.

“See it in the rain, but never in a drought,” Rapunzel picked up, flashing him a wide, sunshiny smile. Pascal squeaked on her shoulder. “It’s a riddle!”  
“It is!” Varian bounced on his heels. He couldn’t tell if the sudden burst of excitement was really from within him or if he was soaking it up from Rapunzel, but either way, he’d take it. “So-- we’ve just gotta puzzle it out, right? And then we can pass?”

Eugene sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Riddles. Of course. Because it couldn’t be _anything else_.”

“My thoughts exactly,” Cassandra grumbled, shouldering her way past Lance. “Can’t we just break it open? Answering a stupid riddle isn’t going to do anything.”

“Ah-ah-ah,” Demanitus wagged a finger, jumping onto Eugene’s shoulder. “You two are too cynical for your own good. You must have faith, in a place like this.”

“ _Faith_?” Eugene raised a brow. “Look, monkey, I believe in what I can see right in front of me. And I see a stone tablet with some words on it. In our way.”

“Really, Eugene?” Rapunzel sighed, not looking back at him. “Because _I_ see--”

_“Spiders!”_

Varian jolted, spinning around to stare at Lance. The man was stiff and wide-eyed, pointing a shaky finger at the skull of a withered skeleton draped along the wall. How there was still a ball of soft tissue left over in a corpse that old, though, Varian wasn’t certain.

“Lance,” Cassandra sighed. “That’s an eyeball.”

“It _moved_!”

“And what makes you think it’s a spider of all things?”

Varian’s eyes snapped wide open. “Optica spiders,” he breathed, glancing down at Demantius before spinning back around to the tablet. “We gotta get out of here! C’mon, Punzie, help me-- see it in the rain but never in a drought, what the heck does that mean!?”

Eugene rolled his eyes. “Varian, kid, he’s just being a-- _holy crud there are more!_ ”

Lance screeched, jumping up and trying to climb on Eugene’s back in an effort to get away from the swarm of spiders crawling from the cracks in the walls. Varian’s chest felt like something was squeezing it, but his feet were cemented to the ground, mind running a million miles an hour. Spiders, everywhere, coming from everything-- what did the riddle mean? Why couldn’t he figure it out?

Rapunzel murmured to herself, shouting out progressively silly answers as if she expected the door to just open at a word. Cassandra had taken out her sword, stabbing downward to impale spider after spider. Eugene was barely able to keep himself and Lance away, plus juggle the monkey that kept crawling all over him in an attempt to escape. And Varian just stood there. Frozen. Stuck in a loop of _can’t, not good enough, I’ll do it wrong._

And then a spider landed on his face.

He screamed, swiping it off, but his brain was up and running again in seconds. Riddle! Solve the riddle! He stomped the other spiders swarming him, clinging to his jacket, alighting on his goggles and in his hair, mind whirling.

 _See it in the rain but never in a drought._ Wet, moist, darkness, shade, what went in those…?

His eyes fell on a red mushroom. A very lonely out-of-place red mushroom.

Varian ran for it, wrapping his fingers around the stalk and only half surprised to find that it wasn’t a mushroom at all-- it was carved, colored stone. A switch.

He pulled for all he was worth, yelping as the mushroom popped out of the ground, still attached to a misshapen stone lever. It fell with him as he tripped, tumbling down, the back of his head slamming into a stone and peppering his vision with black dots--

The world fell out from under him as two strong arms slung around his waist, a grunt echoing in his ears as everything spun around him. He was moving, moving away from the little white dots skittering across the ground towards them.

Then stone filled his vision and gasping filled his ears. Varian blinked rapidly, clearing his vision, as the person under him set him down.

Cassandra’s face came into view, her hands under his arms to hold him steady. And she was _smiling._

“You got us out, Varian,” she laughed and hugged-- _hugged_!-- him tight. “Good job.”

“Oh my gosh, is your head okay?” Rapunzel’s slender artist fingers reached for his shoulders, Cassandra’s grip lightening to let her turn him around. Her big green eyes were round with worry, Pascal tilting his head on her shoulder and chirping.

“I’m fine,” he finally managed to piece together, looking around. Eugene and Lance both cast him worried glances, while Ruddiger hopped up onto his shoulder from nowhere and began licking his face. Just this once, he didn’t mind it. He was too busy smiling back. “I’m fine.”

“Good, because time is wasting and the next challenge is just up ahead.” Demanitus’s voice cut through the moment, dragging everyone’s eyes to him as he slipped down the stone corridor. 

“Of course it is,” Eugene sighed, running a hand over his face and trudging forward. “Come on, gang, let’s go see what Monkey Face has for us this time.”

Varian cast a glance to the others, but they had all turned away from him in favor of following Demanitus. Doubt flowed back into him, a cluster of dark tendrils worming their way into his mind and squeezing his chest--

But, for once, he shoved them back. He still felt Cassandra’s arms around him, still felt the warmth of everyone’s proud gazes on him. Felt Ruddiger curling around his shoulders in a hug. He’d made them _proud._ And he would do anything, _anything,_ to get that feeling again.

Eugene finally pulled him out of his thoughts with another long groan. _“Another freaking riddle?”_

“Not really,” Rapunzel’s giggle was lighter now, a little less forced than when they’d been in the darker part of the labyrinth. Here, sunlight poured over them, lighting her hair up gold and reflecting off the sliver of Cassandra’s sword visible above the sheath. The princess leaned down a little, peering at another stone tablet under a statue of what looked to be some kind of bizarre gargoyle creature. Before the tablet was a shallow well glittering with coins. “‘If thou wish to skirt a deadly stress, donate a coin and earn safe egress’.”

Cassandra raised a brow down at Demanitus. “That the best fancy wording you can come up with, Monkey Face?”

“I did say my poetry wasn’t top-notch.”

Rapunzel shook her head, looking to Lance. “We each need a coin, Lance. Can you take out… um… me, Eugene, Lance, Pascal… nine?”

“ _Nine_ ?” Lance looked positively affronted. “These are _gold pieces,_ Rapunzel. Straight from the stronghold of King Trevor himself. You cannot possibly expect me to just give them up to a greedy fountain.”

Cassandra huffed. “Rules of the labyrinth, Strongbow. Fork ‘em over.”

Eugene held up his hands. “Now hang on. Lance has got a point. That’s our money, you know? What we’re currently _living off of_? We can’t just throw it away.”

“Yeah, we’re living off of the money now. We don’t give it up and we might be dying off of it.” Cassandra lunged forward, grabbing at the pouch of coins and cursing when Lance danced out of reach.

“Cass, really, I thought you were one of the few sensible people--”

“I _am_ sensible, just not cynical. We’re being led by a _talking monkey_.”

“So?”

“ _So_ I’m going to do what the talking monkey says and give the stupid fountain a stupid coin.”

Rapunzel smiled as she ducked in, trying to hide the hesitation in her eyes. “So, guys, I mean, I know you’re disagreeing about this, but we really should be moving…”

Cassandra finally lunged forward, swiping the pouch of money from Lance. She ignored his incredulous shouts, digging out nine gold coins and throwing them hard into the fountain. “There. It’s done. Let’s move on.”

Lance dropped to his knees. Eugene sighed, patting his friend on the shoulder before moving to sling an arm around Rapunzel’s shoulders and guide her along. The rest of them gradually moved out after them, Varian casting one last look at Lance before rounding the corner.

______

  
  


The labyrinth went on for _hours._ Puzzles on top of puzzles on top of still more puzzles. Riddles galore, enough to make Varian’s brain turn to mush. Eugene, Cassandra, and Lance all tried to help, as did the animals-- but eventually, and after one too many incidents with short tempers and Cassandra’s sword, the task fell to Rapunzel and Varian. Demanitus remained painfully silent throughout the maze, only speaking when spoken to-- and when he did talk, it was in yet _more_ riddles that left Varian confused.

Eventually, though, after a lot of crawling through small spaces and nearly getting chopped to pieces by a booby trap, Rapunzel and Varian led them side-by-side onto a ring of stone before a vast, rounded pit that carved deep into the ground below. Acid-green steam rose from bubbling liquid filling the pit, wisping and curling around a bridge made from what looked like neon green crystal. Varian’s mind would have been _spinning_ at the thought of what these new substances could be-- what properties they might hold.

Would be, if Vex and Adira weren’t standing right at the front of the bridge and talking to one another.

“Vex!” Her name left his mouth before he could stop it. She turned just in time to catch him and avoid being tackled, a surprised laugh escaping her as she hugged him tight.

She finally pulled back, a grin on her sharp face. Her hair was different-- done up in weird braids of different sizes. Her whole _look_ was different, actually. A fur coat with a belt buckle shaped like the same strange comet symbol on Adira’s hand hung from her, heavy and made for travel. Her boots were different-- made of thicker material and in some kind of foreign style, perhaps Chinese. 

“Varian, you made it! See, Adira, I told you they’d actually come!”

“I was the one who said they’d be here.”

“You were just wondering if they’d ever show up.”

“Vex, as sarcastic as you are, it’s a wonder you don’t catch onto mine.”

She rolled her eyes and turned back to Varian with a smile, glancing up to his friends. “Whole gang still together, huh? Impressive. I thought the big one might get…” she stuck her tongue out and ran a finger across her neck.

Lance spread a hand over his chest, making a horrified face. “Excuse me? What makes you think _I--_ ”

“Everything about you, buddy.”

Rapunzel laughed, a little forced, and stepped between her and Lance. “Well, Vex, Adira, it’s so good to see you two again!”

“So good,” Cassandra muttered.

“The best,” Eugene agreed under his breath.

She cast them a look before turning back to Vex and Adira. “So what are you two doing here?”

“What else?” Adira drew her sword, pointing it over the crystal bridge toward a black stone platform in the center. If Varian squinted, he could just make out a translucent green box with what looked like a piece of parchment inside. “That is part of the Scroll. We have to get to it.”

Cassandra nodded, stepping forward. “So what’s the plan?”

“The plan, Short Hair, is for the lightest of us to go across the bridge while the others tie a rope--”

Demanitus cleared his throat.

Adira and Vex both jumped, looking down at the monkey. It was Vex who spoke first. “Did the monkey just--”

“Talk?” Varian chuckled. “Yeah. That’s, uh, that’s Demanitus. Long story.”

“ _Demanitus_ ,” Adira breathed, dropping to one knee and bowing her head. “It is an honor.”

Demanitus blinked twice before shaking his head. “The honor is mine. But anyway-- your plan will fail.”

Adira looked up quickly. “Why?”

“It doesn’t follow the riddle.” He reached out, pointing to a purple wood sign. “Honestly, I’m not surprised. No one ever seems to read these things.”

Rapunzel pushed forward, leaning down. “Before thou claim thy glory, have faith that the crystal bridge will lead to thy quarry. Use the key to unlock, after thy faithful walk.” She smiled with a light hum, reaching down to take a golden key emblazoned with the design of a monkey’s face.

Eugene raised an unimpressed brow. “Really not your best work, huh?”

“I did say I wasn’t a poet already.” Demanitus hopped up to snatch the key from Rapunzel’s hand, holding it up to his face with a grin. “But look. Mon- _key_.”

Cassandra, Adira, and Vex all made faces. Eugene sighed, shaking his head. “Let’s just-- Lance, stop laughing-- get this over with, shall we? I’m the master thief, I should cross.”

Adira raised one of her sculpted brows. “Excuse me, but I’m the Brotherhood member. I should cross.”

“No offense, Adira, but you’re heavy as crud. I’m not.” Vex grinned. “Let me. I have a history of snatching shiny important things.”

“I’m the lightest one of all of us, though,” Varian spoke up. “So by that logic, it should be me. Well, technically Ruddiger or Pascal, but Pascal can’t open boxes and… I don’t know that I trust Ruddiger on this one.” He glanced over to his glaring raccoon with a sheepish smile. “Sorry, buddy.”

Cassandra frowned, crossing her arms and cocking a hip. “Why doesn’t the monkey just go? He’s light, he designed the place…”

“Exactly. I designed this place. It wouldn’t be right if I solved the puzzles for you.”

“Who cares if it’s ‘right’?” She turned on him, eyes narrowing. “It’s just a stupid puzzle. This is the fate of the world we’re talking about.”

“Exactly. The fate of the world. Which sits on all of your shoulders.” He gestured to the key in Rapunzel’s hand. “This maze was built to test those who would seek out the Scroll. One of you must cross the bri…” He cut himself off, blinking rapidly and holding a hand to his forehead. A few monkeyish chattering noises followed.

Rapunzel gasped. “Demanitus?”

“...I’m fine, I’m fine. But we’re running out of time.”

Eugene’s jaw set and he reached to take the key from Rapunzel’s hand. “Here, Sunshine. I’ll do it.”

For once, nobody argued with him. Even Adira stepped aside as he headed across the green crystal bridge, steps careful and measured.

He reached the box within a minute, sliding the key in and retrieving a small, torn piece of paper. Varian found himself holding his breath as Eugene started back towards them, brown eye set on the crystal below. Crystal that looked like it wasn’t holding up well _at all._

The warning had barely risen in his throat when a crack ran through the bridge, stretching from Eugene’s feet to the end of the bridge.

“Eugene!” Rapunzel cried out, starting forward a step. Her eyes couldn’t possibly get any wider.

“I’m okay, Blondie!” He hesitated fora second before darting forward, wincing at every new crack that appeared under his boots.

It happened too quick to track.

Cracks raced along the bridge. His steps, so sure and focused earlier, slipped just a bit to the side. His feet went out from under him, a shout ripped from his throat, and Eugene was tumbling down-- down with the remains of the crystal bridge towards the pool of acid below. Varian was shouting, Lance and Cassandra were yelling, even Adira had let out a surprised sound--

\--Rapunzel’s hair fell over the side, tossed with shaky hands. “Eugene! Catch! Hang on!”

He _barely_ caught it, hanging onto her hair with white knuckles and his boots hanging just over bubbling green acid.

Everyone reached to grab onto Rapunzel, pulling her back to slowly but surely tug Eugene back up from the pit. He stumbled out onto stone, dropping to a knee to pant. “...Blondie, have I ever told you you’re a lifesaver? Literally?”

She broke out into disbelieving laughter as she ran forward to hug him close, dropping to her knees to do so. Varian finally let himself breathe as he watched them both-- safe. They were safe. Everyone was okay.

Adira strode up, mouth set in a mildly curious downturn as she reached down to pluck the paper scrap from Eugene’s hands. “Interesting.”

Vex trotted up to her side, bouncing up to her toes to try to see. “One more, right?”

“Mhm.”

Rapunzel paused, looking up at them. “...What?”

“Demanitus’s scroll.” Adira glanced over to the monkey, who only gave them a small smile. “Only one piece left. We’ll get it once we take all of you back to Corona.”

Cassandra lifted a brow. “Not that I care, but… what’s so important about the scroll, anyway?”

“It will tell you exactly how the Moonstone and Sundrop coexist, interact…” Demanitus walked forward, hands clasped behind his back as he looked up at Rapunzel. “How to seize the power inside you.”

“Seize… the power…?”

He nodded. “This is why I tested your faith, you see. Only the purest of hearts must be trusted with a power such as the one held within the Sundrop and Moonstone. In the right hands, after all, it can be used for good. But in the wrong hands…”

“You could flatten kingdoms,” Adira whispered, something shining behind her eyes. Something like a memory.

Rapunzel shivered and Eugene’s jaw tightened. “Why can’t we just leave the Moonstone the heck alone, again?”

“Black rocks, Fish Skin.” Adira’s eyes narrowed.

Demanitus nodded. “If the Sundrop does not join with the Moonstone, it will _seek you out._ No matter where you are, who you’re with, what walls you erect. The Moon will always find you. And it will raze whatever keeping you from it to the ground.”

Varian could _see_ the breath leave her body as she stared down at the monkey, swallowing. “...So… what… what happens when I get there? When I… join with the Moonstone?”

“You--”

The ground shook with a mighty roar.

Varian jumped clear off the ground and everyone looked around wildly, huddling together. Demanitus glared up at each of them in turn. “What happened? What did one of you do?”

“I’m sorry!” Lance cried out, hand over his face. “I’m sorry, I just couldn’t say goodbye!”

“What…” Cassandra’s eyes widened and she stomped over to him, backhanding him across the back of his bald head. “Lance, you _idiot!_ You took the money, didn’t you!?”

“Bigger problems!” Eugene shouted, pointing up to a giant stone gargoyle stalking them from the top of the labyrinth wall. Fear and amazement shot through Varian in equal amounts-- on one hand, giant scary creature. On the other hand, _living stone._ How!?

Vex’s hand slipped into his before he could ponder it more, effectively making his brain pause. Her pinched face was set in a frown. “Okay, so, gargoyle man is mad because we’ve got an idiot stick with us. How do we get out of this?”

Demanitus sighed. “You can’t. If you run, he’ll--” his voice cut off with a monkeyish chirp.

“Oh, not _now_ ,” Eugene cursed, scooping up the monkey and backing away slowly from the approaching monster. “Cass, you got your sword?”

“To use against _that_?”

“Good point. Varian, bombs?”

He winced. “Ran out.”

“Adira--”

“I’m not messing with something this old.” He backed up. “You don’t mess with old temples and labyrinths. Just a rule.”

“Which we’ve already broken.” He cast a glare in Lance’s direction, reaching to grab Rapunzel’s wrist and slowly inch them back.

It happened all too fast.

The gargoyle shot forward, roar pouring from it in an angry explosion. Stone claws reached out, ready to rip through flesh; stone teeth shone sharp in a mouth opened wide; red eyes glinted, promising death and blood.

Until it was all replaced with gold.

For a second, Varian was dumbstruck. He’d closed his eyes thinking he wouldn’t open them again-- and then seconds later a golden glow coaxed them open, sending awe deep down into him.

Rapunzel stood strong, eyes closed and teeth gritted, as light traveled down her hair. Hair that was moving on its own, forming a sphere around them-- a glowing, golden, protective, _magical_ sphere. It was like nothing he’d ever seen before in his life.

And then it was over. Rapunzel fell and her hair followed, leaving them swimming in limp golden locks. Eugene rushed to catch her, murmuring under his breath, while Adira narrowed her eyes at the lump of stone where the gargoyle had been.

Varian blinked as he looked around. It looked like there had been an explosion, with Rapunzel at its epicenter-- a huge section of the labyrinth around them had been reduced to rubble, flattened and blown away.

“What… happened?” Cassandra asked, echoing what everyone else was thinking.

Her only answer was a hoot from the monkey as he scampered off, perching on top of a tall stone and digging one of his fingers up a nostril. Ruddiger suddenly jumped back into motion to join him, chattering back and forth.

Eugene sighed as he parted from Rapunzel, walking over to scoop the monkey up. “I don’t know. And the one person who could’ve told us ran out of time.”

Rapunzel paled. “But… Demanitus… I had so many questions!”

 _Me too,_ Varian thought, scrubbing a hand through his bangs. But he didn’t voice that. His questions were nothing compared to Rapunzel’s. Just science and history. _His_ hair didn’t glow and make forcefields. _He_ didn’t have some grand destiny. That wasn’t on his shoulders.

He wasn’t important. Rapunzel was. And he’d taken up all that time with Demanitus earlier when _she_ could’ve been asking real questions that would’ve helped her.

He was so selfish.

He didn’t realize Vex was gently tugging him up to follow the others until they were headed out, Ruddiger jumping up to his shoulders to pat his face.

  
  


______

  
  


Madame Canardist was none too happy to see them again. Eugene put on his happy face and pretended not to care, though-- Rapunzel had been through way too much to stress her out any more than necessary.

It had been a surprise, then, when she sent them on their way-- and then called him back, specifically, to hand over the cheap red stone in Vigor’s turban, claiming the monkey wanted him to have it. A stone that he was still staring at as he sat back a ways from the fire, away from everyone else as they chatted and exchanged stories with Vex and Adira.

It was a good thing, too. Because after a moment, he noticed something strange: two tiny hinges made into the side.

The stone opened with a click. A small scrap of paper, the same kind their ‘fortune’ had come on when he and Rapunzel had gone the first time, sat inside.

Eugene frowned, glancing up at the others-- Rapunzel was gushing about something, holding out Pascal-- before taking out the scrap and tucking its container into his pocket. The words were tiny enough that he needed to squint in the darkness, written in bold ink.

_At the end of Rapunzel’s journey, one of her party will turn against her._

Ice shot through his veins and settled in his stomach, his one brown eye going wide. That was _awfully_ specific. And though he never would’ve given one of Vigor’s fortunes a second thought, he had just met Demanitus in that same monkey’s body.

_One of her party…_

He slowly dragged his eyes up, sliding them from one person to the next.

He didn’t understand. Lance, Pascal, Varian, Ruddiger, Cassandra, Fidella, Maximus, Fancy and Stelle… none of them would possibly turn against her. Why would they? Even Adira was the one pushing her towards this, and Vex followed whatever Adira did.

_At the end of Rapunzel’s journey, one of her party will turn against her._

It didn’t make any sense.

After a moment, he crumpled up the paper and shoved it back in his pocket. It didn’t matter. It didn’t matter, because it wasn’t true. Demanitus was a paranoid, untrusting old man.

He knew his friends. And he knew they wouldn’t betray Rapunzel. He had faith in them.

He walked back over to the fire, painting a smile over his face and banishing the thought from his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just the finale now and then I can jump into the third season! I'm not going to make any promises, but I've had a breakthrough lately and I'm going to try my absolute best to write more. So thank you for being here! And I swear I read all the comments, even if I haven't been able to make myself reply recently. (I'm gonna go do that now, actually.) And I love every single one of them.
> 
> As always, tell me what you thought, what I can do better, and generally just your thoughts! <3


	19. For Family's Sake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel finally reaches the Dark Kingdom and must face a bleak ultimatum.
> 
> ______

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo. Freaking. Hoo.
> 
> My /guys/. My friends. My fellows. It is here. This is the finale for Act Two of Broken Things. We. Made. It.
> 
> I won't keep you too long, but let me just say: I think you're going to enjoy this.  
> See you at the end. ;)
> 
> ________

Adira frowned as she dumped another load of wood into the pile, scanning over Blue Stripe’s… contraption. “You about done?”

“Just…” He yawned into his elbow, blinking rapidly to keep his eyes open. Eyes surrounded by dark circles and reddened around the edges. “Just about… Vex, I need my screwdriver, please…”

A snore answered him. He glanced over, frowning when he spotted Vex snoring against the side of his project, Ruddiger flopped over in her lap. “Okay, I guess I can get it.”

Adira tilted her head as she watched him push himself up, supporting himself on the rim of the balloon’s basket as he trudged over to grab his screwdriver.

“...You okay, kid?” Short Hair echoed Adira’s thoughts from behind, dark lips curved in a frown. Several rabbits dangled from one hand, bolts through each of them. Apparently she’d gotten over whatever fear she had of that crossbow. “You look dead on your feet.”

“‘M fine,” he yawned again, reaching to tighten a screw. “Jus’ bad dreams. And anyway, ‘m better off being helpful…” 

“You won’t be helpful if you pass out.”

He waved a hand in her direction, eyes half-closed and trying to focus on a set of blueprints in one hand.

“How late were you up last night, anyway?”

“Last… last night…?” He glanced up at the rising sun, scrubbing at one of his eyes. “Oh. Guess it is morning.”

That struck a chord in Adira. “Okay, Blue Stripe, that’s enough of that. I can spend days without sleep, but a kid like you? You need rest.”  
“No, I need… need to help.” His jaw set and he glared down at the screw he was still tightening-- or trying to. It had quit moving a while ago. “I’ve stayed awake… all night before. Workin’.”

“Well, you’re obviously suffering for it.”

“I--”

“Guys!” Earrings came thundering in on Fancy, both of them wide-eyed and looking panicked. Her nostrils flared with every breath, sides caving. “We gotta run! Guards on our trail!”

“Guards!?” Fish Skin started up, the side of his hair sticking up in a bedhead. He rubbed at his eyes, pushing himself up on wobbly feet. “Who… who said guards? What’s happening?”

“Captain caught up with us. They’re coming.”

Maximus snorted, nudging Fidella. She tipped her nose up in the air a bit and trotted over to Cassandra, waiting for her to mount. The motion woke Stelle, who started, looking around wildly.

“No, just, wait a second…” Varian’s voice was a little slurred. “Jus’... jus’ need a minute. Then we can get in. Big enough for… all of us.”

“We don’t  _ have  _ a minute, little guy. We--”

Crossbow bolts cut through the air with a whistle, embedding in a tree just shy of Lance’s head. Adira jumped to attention, scowling as she drew her shadowblade and spun to face the approaching soldiers. “Short Hair, Fish Skin, Earrings, all with me! Hold them off while Blue Stripe finishes up!”

The commotion startled Ruddiger awake, who stood up in Vex’s lap to pat her face. She woke with a violent jerk, throwing the raccoon off her and rocketing to her feet. “What’s going on!?”

“Help him!” Adira rushed off into the trees, raising her black sword to send more crossbow bolts flying back the way they came. Cassandra and Eugene were right behind her, Lance circling around on Fancy’s back to try and get a better angle.

They wouldn’t be able to hold off the guards for long.

______

  
  


The Captain shouted, swerving around on Gwendolyn to just _barely_ miss a giant black sword cleaving towards him. The woman on the other end was an absolute _giant,_ a tiny smile on painted lips as she jumped forward again.  
Crossbow bolts whizzed past them as the other guards engaged the rest of her team-- a team that had his daughter on it. He had to get rid of her and fast if he was going to find Cassandra.

“Give up now, criminal,” he said as loud and firm as he could make his voice go. “I know you’re in leagues with Flynn Rider!”

She snorted out a laugh, taking a few more slow steps closer. Gwendolyn nickered as she backed up, ears pricking at the sight of a black blade inching towards her. “You don’t know what you’re messing with, Helmet. This team of ours is headed towards something far out of your control or comprehension.”

“I can comprehend that you’re fugitives just fine.”

“Well, we might be. But that’s never stopped me before.” The woman laughed. “Give up now and we won’t hurt any of you. We’ll even come right back to Corona all on our own,  _ after  _ we’re through here.”

“Like I’d listen to anything you had to say.” He scowled, jumping off Gwendolyn’s back and drawing his sword. 

Ringing filled his ears as his head slammed into the ground, a heavy foot planted on the small of his back. His sword skittered a few feet away.

“Here’s the deal, Helmet. You can’t beat me. You can only make a deal with me. And that deal is: leave us alone.”

“That’s not a deal,” he gasped out, scrabbling at the ground to pull himself out from under her foot. “That’s a demand. And besides. I don’t--  _ guh _ \-- I don’t  _ make  _ deals with scum like you.”

“Okay, fine, no deal. You just die.” She lifted her black sword--

\--Only for it to be stopped by a smaller steel one.

His heart leapt at the sight of Cassandra, glaring hard at the woman. “That’s my dad. Don’t kill him.”  
“Honey!?”

“Hey, Dad.” She smiled wryly down at him. “Sorry.”

He frowned hard. “Sorry about running away?”

“No. This.” 

Before he even registered what she was talking about, there was a boot flying straight for his face. Then spots danced across his vision, head bouncing off the ground under him, and the Captain was out.

  
  


_________

  
  


Cassandra was breathing hard as she stepped back, staring down at her dad. She had… never actually knocked him out. Or landed a serious blow. Sure, their training got pretty rough sometimes, but…

“Good work, Short Hair.” Adira cast her a nod before spinning to run back into the woods, calling for ‘Earrings’ and ‘Fish Skin’.

Cassandra shook her head, dropping to one knee beside her dad and cupping his face with a hand. “I really do wish I could just come home,” she whispered. “But destiny awaits, Dad. I can’t turn back now. And I really hope you understand one day.”

She patted his cheek and  _ almost  _ stood back up before something caught her eye.

She narrowed her eyes and reached down into her dad’s pocket. Her heart stopped when she pulled out a tiny music box.

Barely the size of her palm, but heavy with memories. She could still recall when he gave it to her, told her about it being made with parts from her old one. She’d never understood what he had meant until that stupid door back at the House of Yesterday’s Tomorrows.

Now, it brought a wave of nostalgia and anger and tender feelings all at once. She clasped it to her chest, breathing out a small sigh and bracing herself. No one knew. No one knew but her.

She couldn’t decide if that was a blessing or a curse.

_ “Cass!” _

Eugene’s voice in the distance made her jump. She looked back down at the music box for a split second before making a decision, shoving it back into her dad’s pocket and shooting up to run to her friends.

  
  


_________

  
  


Rapunzel bounced up and down on her heels, eyes wide and jaw clenched as she looked back and forth between Varian and Vex and the woods. “Hurry, hurry, hurry…”

“We’re going as fast as we can, Sundrop. This thing is  _ massive _ ,” Vex grumbled, handing Varian another part. He took it quickly, eyes wide and worlds more alert than he had been just a minute ago. “Almost done and then we can go call the others.”

Pascal chirruped, narrowing his eyes down at the girl before wrapping his tail around Rapunzel’s wrist and giving her a reassuring nudge.

She relaxed just a little, smiling softly as she petted Pascal’s bumpy head. “I know, buddy. They’ll be okay. We’ll all be okay. Just gotta have faith.”

Lance’s pained shout echoed from the trees, and she winced. “A lot of faith.”

“And--” Varian stuck the very corner of his tongue out as he strapped the last of the balloon together. “Done! Just need to light a fire and we’ll be good to go!”

“Okay! So-- Max, Fidella, everyone, get in the basket. Who’s gonna go get everyone?”

“I will.” Vex stood, pulling out her shotels. “You all get in the basket and get ready. I’ll get Adira and she can help me herd everyone else in there.”

Rapunzel nodded hastily, hurrying to lead everyone into the balloon’s basket as Varian got to work setting a chemical fire under the balloon itself. Within minutes, it was slowly inflating, rising into the air as if by magic.

The very moment it straightened, Cassandra came barrelling out of the woods, followed by Eugene supporting Lance on Fancy. Adira and Vex rushed out last, slamming a pursuing guard down together before spinning to join everyone else cramming themselves in. “Okay, Blue-Stripe, hit it!”

“That’s not exactly the term I would use, but--”

Vex rolled her eyes and slammed her shotels down on a couple of ropes keeping the balloon tied down, sending them lurching into the air. Guards shouted behind them, all rushing towards the balloon with their swords drawn, and Adira had to kick off a few that managed to jump up and grab ahold of their basket.

“Not complaining, but why aren’t they shooting at us?” Eugene asked, inspecting Lance’s bloodied shoulder.

“We have the Sundrop.” Adira watched the guards with narrowed eyes as they climbed higher into the sky. “They wouldn’t risk endangering her.”

Rapunzel shivered. “I feel a little endangered right now.”

Cassandra sighed and shook her head. “They don’t know what they’re doing.”

“That’s the truth,” Eugene grumbled, taking a roll of bandages from Varian and patching Lance up as best he could. “All the Corona guards ever do is make life miserable.”

“Well, to be fair, this is coming from a world-famous thief.”

He cast her a halfhearted glare. “I’m not sure how to take that.”

“Take it as a compliment.” Cassandra twirled a lock of short wavy hair around her finger as she looked down. Rapunzel tilted her head a bit, watching her-- there was something just a little bit off. Something was bothering her friend and she couldn’t pinpoint what it was.

For once, though, she stayed quiet about it. Cassandra had proven to be a very private person, after all. If she needed to talk, Rapunzel could wait until they were alone.

She turned to look forward, staring at the dark shape of a castle beyond, and wrestle with the ball of nerves deep inside her.

  
  


_________

  
  


The castle was even darker and scarier up close. Dark towers cut through clouded skies, sharp and unwelcoming like knives carved from obsidian. The ground itself seemed to be made from solid black rock, only revealing a brown color under the ashy stain as it cut down into a giant chasm between them and the castle. A chasm that made Eugene, not for the first time, very, very glad they had Varian to do things like build them giant air balloons. If anything happened and they fell from the air now...

“You okay, Sunshine?” he murmured for the thousandth time, a gentle hand on Rapunzel’s waist to hold her close.

Her pale hands trembled on his chest, enough to feel through his shirt and vest-- which was an answer in itself, really. Nevertheless, she insisted on lying. “I am.”

“Okay.” He kissed the top of her head, not bothering to argue her. “I won’t let anything happen to you. You know?”

“Yeah.” Her lips pulled into a smile he could tell she didn’t feel. “Thank you, Eugene. For being here with me.”

“Nowhere else I’d rather be.”

She sighed heavily. “I--”

“Uh, guys?” Varian spoke up, sounding a little panicked. “Is it just me or do those birds look like they’re coming for us?”

Eugene scrunched his nose. “Birds? Buddy, we’re in the sky. There’s gonna be birds.”

“I  _ know  _ that, Eugene, but--”

“No, kid’s right.” Cassandra frowned and pulled out her sword. “They’re  _ coming  _ for us. Like, straight at us.”

Owl hooted from atop Fidella’s head, ruffling his wings. She glanced back at him. “You think you can go turn ‘em away, buddy?”

He cocked his head with a  _ hoo. _

“Wow. You’re just feeling real helpful today, aren’t you?”

“Maybe they’ll just fly past us. Or-- yeah. They’re crows. Probably just curious. Yeah.” Varian laughed nervously, drumming gloved fingers on the side of the basket.

Vex stepped up beside him, frowning. Lance looked over his shoulder. “Uh, kiddo--”

There was a  _ pop _ noise and the basket jerked under their feet.

Eugene shouted, wrapping his arms tight around Rapunzel to keep her steady as the balloon rocked. “The heck!?”

Maximus whinnied, digging his hooves into the bottom of the basket and looking back at the other horses. Vex, Varian, Lance, and Ruddiger all clung together for dear life, Adira hanging onto one of the ropes and glaring up. “There’s a hole in the balloon!”

“Ohhhh, not good, very not good, super not good, we’re going down--”

“Quit panicking and help us then, kid!” Cassandra grunted, reaching for the rope to pump more hot air into their balloon. 

“How!? I can’t fight physics!”

“There’s gotta be something! You got any kinda alchemy thing that could give us a boost? We’re nearly there!”

Rapunzel gasped. “Those-- those smoke bombs! D’you think--?”

“Maybe!” 

Varian’s eyes were wide and glassy, face pale, but Vex leaned over to whisper in his ear and he dove into action. Shaky hands plunged into his alchemy bag, casting out tools and pushing aside his drawing supplies before finally pulling out the last of his smoke bombs.

“This had better work, kid!” Eugene shouted, pulling Rapunzel close to his chest and looking out over the side as the basket tipped again, nearly spilling them out.

“It--” he shouted, fumbling and nearly dropping the smoke bomb. Every muscle froze for a moment and Eugene could just  _ see  _ the what-ifs running through the poor kid’s head.

“Varian, for the love of--” Vex snatched the sphere and turned, hurling it with a grunt up into the balloon. It caught fire, bursting with a small ear-popping explosion and sending them lurching hard into the air. Crows squawked, a few of them crashlanding into the basket and getting trampled by boots and hooves alike-- Eugene felt no guilt, but he could hear Rapunzel’s empathetic hisses of pain.

Ahead of them, the ledge moved closer, chasm disappearing behind them. But not close enough.

“We’re not gonna make it!” Varian’s sentence came out in one panicked breath, hugged close to Lance’s chest and hanging onto Vex with one arm and squeezing Ruddiger with the other. 

“We’d better!” Adira grunted as she pulled out her sword, cutting one of the balloon’s ropes and grabbing on, jumping off the side. Vex shouted, starting forward, but the balloon lurching forward one more time made Lance reach to grab her around the waist and haul her back before she fell.

All at once, the ground rushed up under them, basket slamming sideways into the ledge and sending all of them careening out.

Eugene hugged Rapunzel to him, legs and arms going around her small frame in a protective hug as they rolled out across hard stone ground. When they ground to a halt, he slowly let go, sitting up with her in his lap and checking over her face. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” she managed, quiet and shaky as she looked him over. “You?”

“I’ve had worse.”

She nodded and glanced over at the others. “Everyone?”

Maximus snorted, looking over the other horses before neighing in acknowledgement. Ruddiger popped up with Owl, rubbing his ears; Vex and Varian both raised a hand, in a pile with Lance on the ground. Adira, somehow, had landed on her feet, strolling between all of them and dusting off her coat. “That was exciting.”

“ _ Exciting  _ isn’t exactly how I’d put it,” Eugene grumbled, brushing himself off and looking around. “Sunshine, are you… okay…?” He trailed off at the sight of her on her knees beside him, staring down at a small scrap of paper. The fake stone from Vigor’s turban lay open on the ground-- it must’ve slipped out of his pocket in the fall.

Slowly, big green eyes turned up to him. “Someone’s going to…?”

“Shh,” he said quietly, reaching for her hand to pull her up. Adira was talking about something-- leading them into a path through the stone cliffs surrounding the castle. He moved to follow. “We’ll talk about it in a second.”

He looked to Adira, speaking a little louder. “The horses won’t fit in there.”

“Well, I suppose we’ll just have to do without them. Earrings, you’re injured. Stay with the horses.”

Lance frowned. “And leave you all to go in alone?”

Maximus whinnied, and Eugene cast him a nod. “They can stay by themselves. Max, you’re in charge.”

“Like that was ever in question,” Cassandra rolled her eyes and followed Adira in.

Eugene reached for Rapunzel’s hand, waiting to let the others get a head start before looking down at Rapunzel. “I got it from Vigor. Well, I think it’s from Demanitus, but.”

“I… but everyone’s my friends,” she whispered, hands shaking as she stared down at the scrap of paper. If she wasn’t leaning against him, he was half convinced she’d stumble trying to walk. “Why would someone turn against me?”

He winced and pulled her close to his chest, running a hand over her hair. “I don’t know, Sunshine. But you have to keep in mind this might not mean anything. Demanitus was a wacko.”

“But he was right about so much.”

He sighed heavily, leaning back to press a kiss to her forehead. “It’s something to keep in mind. And you can make your own decision. But I trust everyone here with my life.”

“...Yeah. Me too.” She nodded, lips settling into a firm line. “No one here would hurt me.”

He nodded, looking over to the group. “Adira looks like she’s going in.”

“We should probably go after her.” Rapunzel backed up, brushing hair from her face and painting a smile over her mouth before turning to join the group as they all moved towards the door.

It slammed open before Adira could open it, axe embedded in its dark wooden surface. A tall, caped figure filled the doorway, thick bear cloak draping his shoulders with its head pulled over his face like a mask. Dark armor covered him neck to toes.

For a second, everything was still. Varian had grabbed Vex, hiding behind a cowering Lance. Rapunzel clung to Eugene, Cassandra pulled out her sword and pointed it up at him, Ruddiger and Owl both hid in Fidella’s mane while the other horses backed up behind Maximus.

Then the figure reached up, pulling his hood off. His face was long and angular, chestnut hair falling over broad shoulders and matching a mustache and goatee. Soft brown eyes opened wide, looking over the group before focusing in on the woman. “Adira?”

“Edmund.” She grinned, holding out a hand.

He stared down at it, then looked around at the whole party, eyes sliding over every face. “You… you brought  _ people _ here!?” his voice turned into a roar, eyes flooding with rage as he yanked his axe from the door and swung it in a wide arc that Adira barely managed to backflip away from. A gasp ran through the group, Vex running up to Adira’s side and mirroring her mentor’s fighting stance. 

Adira frowned, pushing Vex back with a hand. “I did, your Majesty.”

“You willingly go against the Brotherhood’s oath? For what? What purpose do you bring outsiders into the Dark Kingdom?”

Rapunzel pulled out of Eugene’s arms before he could stop her, freckled face set in a determined frown. “For me!”

They paused. The man-- Edmund, Adira had called him-- swept his eyes over them, landing on Eugene for a little bit too long before settling back on Rapunzel. “And why would you want to come to the Dark Kingdom?”

She swallowed, cowering back a little under his stare-- but she didn’t back away to Eugene, didn’t lower her gaze. “It’s calling for me.”

His jaw set and he shook his head. “No.”

Cassandra frowned. “ _ No _ ?”

“You won’t touch the Moonstone.” His tone was firm. “The last time someone tried to touch that stone, a life was lost and a kingdom ruined. I’ve dedicated my life to protecting this place and any who would try to claim its power. You will  _ not  _ take it.”

Rapunzel’s face scrunched and she stomped a tiny bare foot down. “I’m taking that stone and there’s nothing you can do to stop me. These people have risked so much to take me here. Adira--”

“Adira is too hopeful for her own good. She was sent into the world to keep people away from here-- not  _ bring  _ them here!”

“I’m trying to--”

“I know what you’re trying to do, Adira, but--”

“You don’t understand--”

“I understand plenty--”

Rapunzel’s hair lit up gold, floating ghostlike over her head like a beacon of sunlight.

Everyone turned to stare at her, but she stood tall, balling her fists and glaring. “I am the Sundrop,” she declared, despite the hidden waver. “And I am taking the Moonstone.”

It took a moment for him to regain his voice. “...It’s dangerous. More so than you could imagine.”

“I think I could,” she whispered, memories flicking over her haunted eyes. Eugene almost reached for her hand before stopping himself-- this was her fight. “I know it’s risky. But this is something I have to do. I could end it-- restore balance.”

Adira smiled, but Edmund only squinted harder. “You could die.”

That settled over their group like a leaden blanket, suffocating and hot. It was like a branding rod down the throat to Eugene, a sharp stabbing panic. Rapunzel… nothing could happen to Rapunzel.

“...No,” Cassandra said quietly, stepping forward. Lance and Varian watched from afar, wide-eyed and frozen. Pascal wrapped his tail firmly around a lock of glowing golden hair, chirping. “Rapunzel, please.”

“We’ve come this far,” she murmured, clenching her fist. “I  _ cannot  _ stop now.”

Edmund sighed heavily, scrubbing a hand through his long hair. “If I let you in… your death is on my conscience.”

“Let her in, Majesty,” Adira pleaded. For once, her tone carried not a hint of smugness. “Please. This could fix  _ everything.  _ Save the Dark Kingdom.”

The ground rumbled, more black rocks sliding through the stone and all pointing to the castle. Rapunzel’s hair glowed brighter, forming a golden sphere of light around her. “I’m going in.”

That was enough. Edmund hung his head, nodding once and stepping aside. “Enter.”

Eugene moved up to take her hand. A soft smile touched her lips as she looked up at him, squeezing his hand and taking a deep breath as she stepped into the castle.

  
  


_______

  
  


The castle was even darker inside, if that were possible. Even with the golden glow surrounding her, warding off shadows-- even with Pascal on her shoulder and Eugene’s hand in hers and all her friends following after her-- Rapunzel couldn’t help but feel  _ terrified.  _ It was icy, creeping down her bones like frost over grass.

“So,” she piped up, voice echoing off dingy black-stone walls. Her eyes slid, but never lingered, over ornate black tables and dining chairs, over black chandeliers and black parlor seats. “What’s the story behind this place?”

Edmund cleared his throat. “It’s a very old story,” he said quietly, looking down with a tight frown.

Adira picked up for him, Vex listening close at her side. “Many, many years ago, a drop of moonlight fell from the heavens. From this drop of moonlight formed a single, seductive opal stone. It had the ability to destroy any and all who would seek to possess it.”

Rapunzel swallowed. She could just  _ feel  _ the protests welling up from Cassandra and Lance-- feel the panic rising off Varian as he hugged Ruddiger close to his chest and listened with too-wide eyes.

Edmund spoke next. “Centuries passed. This opal’s defenses spread, and from that… grew a kingdom. A kingdom founded by my ancestors. Generation after generation of my bloodline have stood guard here, helping to protect the world from the opal’s limitless power.”

“It was Edmund, the last of the Dark Kings, who tried to end this legacy and destroy the stone.” Adira’s voice was soft, eyes trained on Edmund’s stiff back. “That didn’t go so well.”

Edmund sighed, running a hand over his face and forcing himself to relax. “In the fallout, I commanded my subjects to leave and never return. Even… my own son. The last I had of my family.”

Rapunzel’s heart wrenched for him, looking back. “Did you keep in contact with him?”

Edmund’s eyes rose, studying Eugene long enough to make him shift, squeezing Rapunzel’s hand a little tighter. “No. But I had my crows keep an eye on him.”

When the silence dragged on a few moments more than was comfortable, Adira picked up. “He sent his most trusted soldiers into the world to ensure this power be kept a secret. If it ever fell into the wrong hands… it would mean certain doom.”

Vex grinned. “That’s you.”

“It is.” Adira’s lips pulled up into a smug smile. “We called ourselves the Brotherhood. Which I always thought was a bit odd, since, well, one of us is a woman. But Hector and Quirin thought it was a good idea.”

Varian let out a breath. “...My dad lived here.”

“Indeed he did. Quirin was a valued soldier and a trusted friend of mine.” She smiled softly, eyes far away. But she shook herself, continuing on. “I refused to believe such darkness could exist without a light of equal power somewhere in the world. And as usual, I was right. After years of searching, chasing legends and rumors and tall tales, I found the Sundrop.”

Rapunzel’s breath caught when she turned an intense gaze to her. “Only you, Rapunzel, can restore balance to all things.”

Edmund cleared his throat, stepping between the women and up to the front of the group before that could truly set in. “This is the way in, Sundrop.” He gestured to an ornate door, tall as the castle walls and decorated with silvery patterns of the black rocks.

She nodded, biting her cheek and trying to force down the acidic wave of dread welling in her. “Okay. If-- if anyone wants to stay out--”

“No,” Eugene said immediately, gripping her hand tighter. “I’m going in with you. Always.”

“Agreed,” Cassandra stepped up, giving her a soft smile. “We’ve made it this far. Your royal guard isn’t giving up that easy.”

“I’m not exactly known for my bravery,” Lance began, stepping up to join them. “But I am known for my loyalty. And you have it, Rapunzel.”

A small, slender figure squeezed in between them, still holding his raccoon. “And-- and I’m not backing away, either. You’re my friend.” His voice was shaky-- everything about him was. But she could see the determination in Varian’s eyes.

“Guess I’m going too,” Vex grinned, stepping up beside him and clapping Varian’s shoulder. “Short Stack can’t have all the brave moments.”  
“We’re all going in,” Eugene nodded, looking down to Rapunzel. “Always, Blondie.”

Warmth swelled in her chest and she sniffled, throwing herself into Eugene and hugging him tight. “I love you.”

“...I love you too, Sunshine.” His lips pulled up and he hugged her back a moment before pulling back, brushing a thumb over her freckled cheek.

She stared into his one brown eye, wishing the other wasn’t covered by a patch. She could look at him forever-- feel his arms around her forever. Be trapped in this moment forever, never walk into the chamber and face death. But this was her destiny-- what she was meant to do.

Rapunzel leaned up and, for half a second, their lips touched. When she pulled away, Eugene was flushed but smiling, hugging her tight and trying to blink back tears from watery eyes.

She stepped back after a moment, looking to Cassandra. “Thank you, Cass. For being there for me and listening to me. You’re a great guard. The best anyone could ask for. I love you.”

Cassandra’s smile wobbled. She didn’t step forward for a hug, but she did nod, taking in a steadying breath. “It’s my honor, Princess Rapunzel.”

“And Lance.” She looked to him with a smile and shining eyes. “You always know just how to make me laugh and cheer up. You’re everyone’s rock and you keep the group together. I love you.”

Lance didn’t bother hiding his tears as he lurched forward to sweep her into a hug. “Awe, Rapunzel, I love you too.”

She giggled as he set her down, offering one last wide smile before turning to Varian. “And my little brother.”

His big blue eyes snapped up to her, lips parted.

Her smile widened and she leaned down to pull him into a tight hug. “You’re so sweet and caring and smart. You’re  _ bright,  _ Varian. In so many senses. Don’t let people take that from you.”

He broke down. Really broke down. Ruddiger squeaked as he melted into her arms, sobbing into Rapunzel’s shoulder. “I love you, Punzie.”

“I love you too,” she whispered, hugging him as hard as she could.

“You… I feel like I have a family with all of you.” His voice was barely audible and thick with tears. “You know?”

“I do.” She waited another minute before stepping back, brushing away her own tears and turning to stare ahead at the door.

“When you’re ready, Sundrop,” Adira said quietly, hands folding behind her back. 

She took a deep breath, nodded, and stepped forward, grunting as she pushed open the door.

The chamber inside was huge. A tiny bridge, worn by time, extended from a small platform just inside the door to one in the center of the chamber. The walls around her sparkled, made of a thousand black spikes all sloping inward to point at the central platform-- and at the spherical stone cage on it.

Inside the cage floated a small blue stone, shimmering a bright, vibrant turquoise that reflected off the stone around it, like a star brought down to earth.

As she stepped inside, her hair burst out, ripping free of its bonds to reach for the air. Golden light sparkled off the walls as they began to shift, groaning and rumbling. In turn, every last spike lay down flat, forming a solid, smooth black wall that faded into the shadows and left just Rapunzel, her friends, and the opal.

She swallowed, glancing back once more at the encouraging yet worried faces of her friends before taking another step forward.

She could feel the power humming around her, all through the air and into her soul. Calling for her. Summoning her. Every step felt like giving in to a magnetic pull-- it felt  _ right,  _ like everything wrong in the world was slowly being wiped away with every inch forward.

Her hand reached out almost of its own accord, green eyes wide even against the blinding light of the moonstone. Even as she watched, it rose through the swirled bars of its cage, pulsing with some kind of cool alien heartbeat. Her fingers drew closer, breath stopping and leaving her completely entranced, numb to everything in the world but herself and the moonstone calling for her.

Until a tiny, gloved hand shot out in front of her and a tidal wave of electric blue energy knocked her back.

  
  


________

  
  
  


Varian screamed, eyes bugged out and wide as agony coursed through his body. But the pain was nothing compared to the stab of guilt he felt when he saw Rapunzel slam into the stone wall back by the door, falling into Eugene’s arms and staring up at him. “Varian! What are you doing!?”

But it was so much better than her dying.

"I-- I can help! I can-- I can…"

So cold. It was so cold. Electric. Building up in his veins, supercharging, energy filling him and fighting to burst from his skin, to consume him. His chest burned with blue, frostbitten flames as the Moonstone pulsed, struggling against him. It wanted Rapunzel-- but he couldn't let that happen. Rapunzel would be okay. She had to be okay.

"Varian!" Her eyes reflected a mix of gold and blue light, vivid in the otherworldly glow. Tears streamed down her cheeks, glittered as they dropped to the black-rock bridge below her. "Varian, please stop!"

"No!" His voice cracked. He was scared. So very scared. Thoughts muddled and mixed with memory, and feelings drowned in a pool of terror. All he knew was that he'd made a decision, and that he would stick to it. His sister could  _ not  _ die for this, not while his useless self could hold the moonstone. "Punzie, please, let me help…"

"Varian!  _ VARIAN!"  _ There were more. More pleas. More shouts. More-- more  _ accusations _ . Eugene and Cassandra and Lance and Adira. All of them confused and shocked and--  _ angry. _

_ They were angry at him. _

"They don't understand," The girl-- the same one from the nightmares that had been plaguing him-- whispered, gliding around him, a phantom to everyone but him. She was nothing but a blue blur in the corners of his vision. "They don't know what you do. You must remain strong, dear boy. They will be proud when they realize what you have done for them."

"Varian!" This time it was Vex. The others were still yelling, but this one caught his attention for a moment, offered a moment of clarity. A moment to see the confusion in her eyes, the betrayal, the stabbing shocked pain. But then She appeared in his vision, large gleaming eyes right in front of his. 

"Do not listen to the girl," She ordered. "You are doing so well! Do not give up now!  _ Be strong _ ! Be what you have not been for so long!"

And then, everything snapped.

Varian buried his hands in glowing turquoise hair, a strangled scream ripping from his throat. He could feel the cold energy still zipping through him, but it was being channeled now, zooming in a million different directions and moving of its own accord. The rocks moved under him, some systematically as they rose around him and others sharp and sudden as they cut the others off. The world disappeared and sound cut out; soon there was nothing but Varian and dark midnight blue and the soft glow of the Moonstone's magic. He could feel movement, feel the rocks shifting him gently away, but he didn't quite know where  _ away _ might be.

And when everything stilled, when everything ground to a halt and the pressure finally built up until there was no more room to build, Varian wept glowing turquoise tears.

There, in the darkness and the silence, She was there to console him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAHAHA SO it was so flipping hard to not give any spoilers or tell anyone in the comments xD a couple people caught onto this, so kudos to you. I tried so hard to keep it in the dark and you /still/ got it. Masterminds. Or just Moon!Varian fans like me, LOL.
> 
> Either way!!! Thoughts, please? Wishes? Requests? All of it will gladly be accepted and thought over and thoroughly enjoyed. Thank you for reading, for sticking with me this far, and for not killing me over a cliffhanger. (Gotta stay true to the canon material, amirite? please don't kill me xD)
> 
> I know a lot of the materian from Destinies Collide didn't quite make it here, but honestly, I felt like a few of the scenes there had been to extend and add action-- and didn't quite fit the tone I wanted. Just a couple fight scenes, right?
> 
> And for anyone wondering about the Papa Bear reveal-- circumstances changed here, but it's coming. The secret parentage stuff, both for Eugene and Cass, will come about early Act 3 instead this time around and I'll attempt to take it at a more realistic pace. But yeah, it's coming, just didn't fit the bill as things are here. Don't worry ^>^
> 
> So... yeah, I think that's everything! If you have anything-- anything at all-- to say, please do comment! Even criticism can help me take this story in a better direction and feedback keeps me working!
> 
> Thank you all for reading and I hope this met your expectations!!! See you all in Act 3-- keep an eye out for Broken Hearts!


End file.
